Adventures on Kobaruto Island
by onepiece fanatic
Summary: Sequel to Adventures on Kiken Island! Luffy and the others are trying to get Sakura home, but what happens when the island turns out to be the place that their musician never wanted to see again? Rated T for swearing, ZoroxOC, COMPLETE!
1. Haunting Past

**Author's Note: YAY SEQUEL! Just heads up, Sakura doesn't return home until the story AFTER this one unless I get reviews saying they want otherwise…**

**An FYI to those of you who have not read any of my stories with Hoshi in them… Hoshi escaped from a World Government Lab when she was about six, and was on the run ever since. She is a genetic experiment, previously labeled as Experiment 413, with human genes and phoenix genes. Because of this, she has command over the air (to a limit, obviously), and she can fly. If her wings are going to get in the way, she 'pulls them in'. Similarly, she will 'pull them out' when she does want to fly. Her favorite weapon is a whip that she creates by increasing the density of an enormous amount of air, but she can use a sword and dagger too. Last story (in my original series) the crew picked up a kid named Sakura, who begged them to take her home to her home island, a couple islands down the Grand Line.**

**Disclaimer: don't own One Piece… I wish I did, but I'd probably screw up the storyline**

Chapter One: Haunting Past

Hoshi lay wrapped up in her blankets, sweat pouring down her face. She tossed and turned, breathing heavily.

_She was in a cold, dark space, a cage, and a pair of footsteps came tapping ominously on the tiled floor. Their owner came and opened the door to her cage, laughing. "You've been busy, haven't you?" a gravelly voice chuckled. "I'm afraid though, you need to do some more for us."_

_Her voice came out as a squeak. "Don't… don't want too… leave me alone…"_

_"You don't have a choice. Get up now!" the man demanded, grabbing her arm with his arm wrapped in a white sleeve. She tried to shake him off._

_"N… no! I've already done a lot today… I can't…"_

_"You don't have a choice!" She thrashed as the man tried to pull her out of the cage. _

_"I don't want to! Leave me alone!"_

_"GET UP!"_

"Oi, Hoshi!! Get up!"

Hoshi suddenly sat bolt upright, breathing hard. Nami and Robin were kneeling by her futon, looking concerned.

"Gakushi (Musician)-san, are you alright?"

"You were talking in your sleep about not wanting to do something…" Nami said, worried.

Hoshi grinned sheepishly, the tension loosening its' hold on her stomach. "I'm okay," she said. "Just had a… bad dream." She untangled herself from her blanket… she must have been thrashing around a lot. Sighing, she reached with her right hand behind her left shoulder and scratched an itchy spot as she asked, "Is the bathroom free?"

Nami nodded. "I just got out, so if you hurry, no one'll be in there."

Hoshi grinned. "Thanks!" She ran out of the girl's quarters. "I'll see you both at breakfast!" she called behind her.

Nami and Robin looked on quietly. "Neh, Robin, what do you think she was dreaming about?" Nami asked. "She wasn't just talking in her sleep… she was sweating and thrashing around a lot. It's like…"

"I think Gakushi-san was dreaming about something that she was afraid of," Robin commented helpfully.

Sakura looked scared. (If you don't know who this is, read the author's note up at the top of the page.) "Kaizoku-neechan… scared? Whatever she was dreaming about, I bet it was really, really, really bad."

Nami and Robin exchanged glances. Sakura didn't know about Hoshi's past… "Yeah, I guess you must be right," Nami smiled. She took the smaller girl's hand. "Want some breakfast?"

"Yeah!"

In the bathroom, Hoshi promptly locked the door before filling the sink and dunking her face into the ice-cold water. Her raven-black bangs dripping slightly, she dried her face on the towel before staring at herself in the mirror. Piercing aqua eyes stared at her own from the depths of the mirror. Her hands clenched on the sink. "Those dreams…" she muttered. "Why won't they go away!?"

No one in the crew would have to know about this. It wasn't their problem anyways, it was hers.

She allowed herself thirty seconds of crushing self-pity before she dunked her face into the water again and dried it a second time. Taking a deep breath, she drained the sink and left the bathroom… but when she turned the corner, she ran right into Zoro. She instantly put a bright mask of a smile on her face. "Sorry!" she said. "I didn't see you!"

Before he could answer, Hoshi ducked around him and went out onto the deck for a breath of fresh air. He watched her go in bewilderment, wondering what was wrong. Making a mental note to ask her about it later, he went down into the storage and got a couple of lemons that Sanji had asked him to get.

Hoshi leaned against the mast and let the salt air fill her nose. She settled into a quiet state of mind as she absentmindedly scratched her left shoulder… but on the Going Merry that we know and love, things are never quiet for long.

"OI, LUFFY, THROW IT OVER HERE!" Usopp yelled.

"Yosh, you got it!"

Hoshi cracked open an eye, just in time to dodge the pachinko that Luffy had thrown as it embedded itself into the mast in the exact spot her head had been. "Ah, sorry Hoshi!" Luffy apologized.

Hosho got a stress mark on her head and started chasing Luffy around the ship. "THE HELL LUFFY! YOU TRYING TO KILL ME OR SOMETHING?! WHAT IF THAT HAD HIT MY HEAD?!"

"But it didn't, so it's all good!" Luffy laughed as he ran.

"IT IS NOT ALL GOOD! IF THAT HAD HIT ME, I WOULD HAVE DI- BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED!!"

Luffy shot a bemused look at Hoshi, but the thing Hoshi last wanted to think about now was death. "BASTARD JUST GET BACK HERE SO I CAN BEAT YOU INTO A PULP!" she roared.

"Don't feel like it!" Luffy laughed. _Something's wrong…_ he realized.

"Nami-san! Robin-chan! Hoshi-chan! Breakfast is served!" Sanji called.

Hoshi scowled at Luffy. "I'll deal with YOU later," she promised. Walking into the kitchen, she found Nami, Robin, and Sakura already sitting around the table.

"Hoshi!" Nami smiled. "Feeling better?"

"Chasing the idiot captain around the ship does have its positive effects," Hoshi grinned, taking her place at the table.

"G'morning Kaizoku-neechan!" Sakura said through a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

Hoshi smiled. "Good morning to you too!"

"Neh, what were you dreaming about earlier?" Sakura asked. Not noticing the other three suddenly freezing, she continued. "I mean, it seemed pretty bad. Were you having a nightmare or something?"

Hoshi answered carefully. "I suppose… but I don't really remember what I was dreaming about," she lied.

"Really?" Sakura asked, taking a bite of toast. "Well, I hope you don't have it again! Nightmares are no fun to have," she stated reasonably.

Hoshi stared at her plate. "I guess…" She picked up her fork and polished her plate in record time.

"Whoa, slow down Hoshi-chan!" Sanji chuckled. "You'll get indigestion if you eat li-"

"Okawari!" Hoshi interrupted. She had a vivacious appetite, though not quite as large as Luffy's. (Who could eat more than Luffy anyways?) Holding up her plate, she grinned.

Sanji smiled. "Yosh, coming right up!"

After her third plate, Hoshi sighed and stood. "Thanks Sanji! That was really good!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed it!" Sanji sang as he floated to the kitchen door. "Hey, the rest of you bastards!" he barked. "Breakfast!"

"YAHOO! FOOD FOOD FOOD!" Luffy yelled, zooming into the kitchen. Unfortunately, he crashed right into Hoshi, who was on her way out to avoid the breakfast chaos. The two flew through the room and crashed into the opposite wall.

"What's for breakfa- huh?" Zoro walked in to find an enraged Hoshi pummeling Luffy.

"LUFFY YOU BASTARD FIRST YOU ALMOST PUT A HOLE IN MY SKULL BY THROWING A DAMN PACHINKO AT ME AND NOW YOU RUN INTO ME WHEN YOU'RE NOT EVEN LOOKING WHERE YOU'RE GOING AND YOU SMASH ME INTO THE WALL WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?!?" she bellowed, punching and kicking him with every other word. "IT WOULD BE NICE IF YOU ACTUALLY THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE DOING FOR A CHANGE!! IT'S SOMETHING I'D THINK WE'D ALL APPRECIATE FOR A DAY!"

When she finished, she turned around to see everyone staring at her. She flushed and muttered, "I'm going to take a flight," before pushing past Zoro and running outside. Pulling out her wings, she jumped off Merry's figurehead and was airborne.

Luffy sat up, bewildered. "What's wrong with her?" he wondered. "She's not usually like this."

Nami sighed. "Hoshi had a nightmare last night," she explained. "I think something happened in it that really scared her."

Zoro glanced at Nami. "Did she say?"

The navigator shook her head. "No, bu-"

"She said she forgot, but I think she was lying," Sakura piped up. "She was tossing and turning and muttering in her sleep."

Zoro narrowed his eyes.

"Hey, everyone!" Usopp and Chopper stumbled into the room, their eyes shining. "There's an island ahead!"

"Already?" Nami's eyebrows raised. "We only left Kiken Island about two days ago!"

"Come see for yourself!"

The crew streamed back outside. "See?! See?! Over there!" Usopp said excitedly, pointing.

The island was like a flat plateau, sticking out of the water. There was a clear pleasant-looking town with a small harbor. The island itself was fairly small, with enough room for the town and a large forest.

Hoshi sat on the mast, staring at it with no emotion on her face. She flared her wings out a bit, catching the breeze, which lifted her up into the air like a kite. Circling the ship, she sighed. She had to make amends before they reached the island, or there would be problems…

She closed her eyes and drifted a bit. Something pricked her heart, but she didn't know what it was… and she refused to think about it. It would only give her a headache if she tried to figure out what it was.

As the rest of the crew went back into the kitchen, Zoro stayed out, watching Hoshi, a slight line in between his eyebrows. When she touched down on the deck, he walked up to her. "Hoshi, you okay? You haven't been acting yourself."

Hoshi grinned, pulling in her wings. "I'm fine," she replied. "Just a little tired."

"_She was tossing and turning and muttering in her sleep."_ Zoro's eyes narrowed. "Hoshi… what did you dream about last night?"

She froze, taken off guard, but then she smiled and waved her hand. "It doesn't matter!" she said lightheartedly. Hoshi turned back towards the kitchen when Zoro grabbed her arm. He met her eyes with his serious gaze when she turned her head slightly.

"Yes, it does matter," he said firmly. "Tell me."

Hoshi faltered. She wanted to tell him so badly, so she could let it all out. He would comfort her, maybe give her a word or two of advice on how to control her thoughts… but no. This wasn't Zoro's burden, or anyone else in the crew's, and she never wanted it to be. They all had dreams and goals that they wanted to accomplish, and if she told, then it would only be a distraction to them. Her problem had nothing to do with any of their dreams.

"It doesn't matter!" she said sharply, yanking her arm out of Zoro's. She stalked off towards the kitchen.

Zoro let her go. That instant… her eyes had flickered with some emotion he couldn't name. To say that he couldn't name it though, wasn't the same as saying he didn't know it was negative.

The musician walked into the kitchen where the occupants were alternately wolfing down their food and yelling at Luffy to stop stealing their food. She reached out and plucked Luffy's hat off of his head. Everyone looked at her. Luffy looked up. "Oh, Hoshi!" he grinned. "What's up?"

She spun the hat around on her index finger. "Just wanted to apologize for blowing up at you like that earlier," she said, not meeting his eyes. "Sorry."

Luffy laughed. "It's fine! We all have our bad days. Can I have my hat back?"

Hoshi chuckled and ground it onto his head. Suddenly, she tilted it downwards, covering his eyes. "Quick, everyone, eat!"

The others took the hint and wolfed down their food as Luffy yelled, "Hey! That's cheating! Let go of me!"

"No way! Finish eating quick guys!"

Nami finished first and she put her fork down with a sigh. "Thanks Hoshi!"

Luffy wrenched Hoshi's hands off his head, laughing. "Hey, that's no fair!"

"Too bad!" Hoshi grinned.

"Hoshi, do you think you can scope the island?" Nami asked. "Just get a gist of its general shape so I'll have an easier time locating it on a map."

"Sure thing," Hoshi agreed. She let go of Luffy and got a running start out of the kitchen. Pulling her wings out, she jumped off the banister and into the air, letting the wind catch her wings.

Zoro watched her go, his expression unreadable. "Is she alright?" Nami asked.

"… I don't know," he replied.

Hoshi let the breeze carry her up a little, then she rocketed ahead and circled the island. Making a mental snapshot, she flew back down. "It looks like there're two cities on this island," she called. "It doesn't really have a shape though… it's like someone splatted it against the ocean, and it's about 20 kilometers long."

"Great! Thanks Hoshi!" Nami called, already ruffling through her stack of maps.

Hoshi pulled in her wings and sat herself comfortably on the rigging, humming a little tune to ward off flashbacks of her dream.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash. "DAMMIT LUFFY HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU NEED TO STEAL OUR FOOD!?" Zoro yelled.

"GIVE ME MY FOOD BACK!" Usopp shouted.

Luffy laughed. "But I already ate it!!"

Chopper and Sakura stumbled out of the kitchen as loud bangs and crashes were heard. "Are… they like this all the time?" Sakura gasped, looking like she had just escaped something terrible.

Hoshi grinned. "You betcha." Itching her shoulder, she laughed. "It's never quiet for long here!"

Sakura sweatdropped. "Did I pick the wrong ship to travel with?"

Chopper fell, spirals in his eyes. "Ahhh…"

Robin calmly walked out of the kitchen, in a totally 'of-course-Luffy-and-the-others-aren't-trashing-the-kitchen-in-a-battle-over-food' sort of way. Sakura looked up and smiled. Giving the young girl a small smile, Robin called over, "Feeling alright, Gakushi-san?"

"Couldn't be better!" Hoshi laughed. "It's like last night never happened!"

Robin took note of this, but hid her conclusion under a smile. "That's good." She walked up and found Zoro sleeping at the front of the ship.

He cracked open an eye when he saw someone coming. "Oh, it's you," he said by way of greeting.

Robin leaned on the banister. "Kenbou-san, I think Gakushi-san was upset this morning because of her dream last night."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, when I asked her if she was okay, I didn't even mention last night, but she said that she felt fine, like last night had never happened. This also tells me that she's probably not telling us something, if she wants us to think that whatever she dreamed about isn't bothering her so much. Experience on this ship has taught me that the more one of you is worried about something, the more you try to make the others believe that you aren't worried about it at all."

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "And you are telling me this because…?"

Robin smiled. "I honestly think, out of all of us, you are the one who can help her the most."

He thought about it for a second, then closed his eyes. "Whatever, it has nothing to do with me," he said nonchalantly, and to all appearances, went back to sleep.

Robin smiled again. "So it seems." She walked off towards the map room to help out Nami.

Zoro wondered on what Robin had told him. It seemed logical that Hoshi was hiding something that she didn't want to tell them, but what was it, and why was it bothering her so much?

Meanwhile, on the rigging, Hoshi made a startling discovery on the back of her left shoulder. She had noticed that it was more itchy lately, but she had no idea why… until she looked under her shirt. Seeing what was causing the itchiness, she held back a scream, biting the inside of her cheek until it bled. She couldn't let the others know! They would be worried and try to help her… but there was nothing they could do. If they tried to do the one thing that would help her, they would all die with all their goals and dreams left unaccomplished… the very last thing she ever wanted.

She looked at the thing on her shoulder with horror. She thought she had stabbed it away long ago, cut it out of her very flesh with one of the scalpels in the laboratory almost eleven years ago… but apparently, even after all this time, it had never fully disappeared.

On her shoulder, a faint outline of a former tattoo was showing through. The tattoo was small and simple, only three little numbers, each about the size of her pinky nail. They were faint, but the fact that they were still there after she thought she had carved it out so long ago was the part that scared her.

This is what the tattoo said: **413**


	2. Breaking Point

**Author's Note: Heads up, this chapter has a whole lot of stuff going on in it!**

**This story is dedicated flarey phoenix. I'm sorry about what happened.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue**

Chapter Two: Breaking Point

Upon seeing it, Hoshi almost gagged. This number… it was the symbol of everything she had ever hated, all the people who had ever hurt her, and it was back. She looked over the ocean. _Why?_ she thought. Her eyes darkened, and she scowled. _Why did it come back?!_

Several days ago, she would have drowned and died, had Zoro not saved her. Before he had reached her though, the darkness and cold of the ocean had seemed to seep into her very soul, unlocking the small box that she had carefully compressed all of her bad memories into. Now it was open again, and though the memories were being caught and being stuffed back into the box one by one, her nightmares had started up again. She used to have these every night before she had come onto this ship. Hoshi knew she could blame her near-death experience for unlocking the box, but that didn't explain why her tattoo was back. She gripped her shoulder in a death grip, willing the tattoo to have disappeared, and for it to have been a figment of her imagination…

She peeked under her shirt again. It was still there.

Rage boiled inside of her, so she pulled out her wings and jumped off the rigging into the air. She flapped furiously and hard in circles around the ship, trying to work off the stress.

The most frustrating part was no matter how hard or fast she flew, she couldn't get away from herself.

Zoro watched her fly around through narrowed eyes. Shielding his eyes against the sun, he could make out a pained expression on her face when she flew over his side of the ship. He started to feel uneasy about something he couldn't quite put his finger on… but when he glanced at the oncoming island, he felt even more unsettled.

Hoshi flew ahead and circled the island. At one point, she suddenly recognized the island, and almost dropped out of the air with her discovery. Somehow, she lurched back to the ship and touched down. She pulled in her wings, but suddenly lost her balance. Her knees hit the deck with a loud thunk.

Zoro peered at her. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She looked up at him and pasted a smile on her face. "Yes, I'm fine!" she said cheerfully, before walking off to the girl's sleeping room. Her head felt light, and she needed to lie down for a second. She knew she couldn't keep up the happy act for too much longer… and the others already suspected that something was wrong. Hoshi clenched her teeth. They couldn't become a part of this, it had nothing to do with them!

On the way, Nami burst out of the map room.

"Everyone! I just found out what island this is!" The carrot-headed navigator wove around a map. "It's an island called Kobaruto Island!" Hoshi froze, mid-step.

"YOSHA!!" Luffy yelled, jumping onto the figurehead as everyone gathered around. "WE'RE GOING TO KOBARUTO ISLAND!"

"AYE!" they responded. Hoshi stood there like a statue, sweat forming on her face.

"Oi, Hoshi, what's wrong?" Luffy asked. "Aren't you excited? It's a new island!"

Hoshi turned, her mask of a smile pasted back onto her face. "Yeah… um, I'm not feeling too good. I'm going to go lie down for a couple minutes." Without another word, she disappeared into the girl's cabin and closed the door behind her.

"This is weird," Usopp frowned. "Hoshi's been acting strange all morning… does anyone know what's wrong?"

No one really wanted to answer that question. Sakura followed Hoshi into the girl's cabin. The crew watched her go with an impending sense of dread…

When Sakura entered the room, Hoshi had collapsed onto her futon without even taking her shoes off. "Neh, Kaizoku-neechan," Sakura said, poking Hoshi. "What's wrong? You've been acting weird."

Hoshi mumbled something into her pillow.

"What was that?" Sakura asked.

"Go away, damn brat."

Sakura made a face. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong."

"Leave me alone. I need some time to think."

Sakura pouted. "Kaizoku-neechan, what's bothering you so much? You can tell me!"

"I will not."

"Neechan, come on, te-"

Hoshi snapped. She raised herself up onto her elbows and threw a pillow into Sakura's face. "You're annoying," she said, icicles dripping off her voice. "Get out." She locked her crystallized eyes onto Sakura's in a cold stare.

Almost in tears, Sakura managed to unfreeze herself and she stumbled out the door, her face slightly red from the force which the pillow had been thrown and clutching her nose. Suddenly, she turned and shouted, "You're so mean! I just wanted to know what's wrong! But now, I don't care! You can just die and go to hell!" Then she slammed the door behind her.

Hoshi stared at the wall as the door slammed, her eyes dead to the world. "'I can die and go to hell'… huh?" she whispered. She chuckled darkly. "It's been a while since I've heard that line." She dug her nails into her shoulder so hard, it bled. "Sometimes I wish I could do that."

Putting her head down, she miserably came to a decision. It was one that only added to all her pain, but she knew it was what she had to do. She wouldn't be able to live with herself otherwise, and the most valuable lesson that life had taught her was if you couldn't live with yourself, there was no point to living at all. Kobaruto Island… she knew if the Straw Hats landed there, they'd be drawn into everything she didn't want them to be… unless she wasn't there with them.

When Sakura stumbled out of the cabin, everyone thought that something really was wrong when they saw her clutching her nose and wiping her eyes. That was confirmed when Sakura turned and yelled that Hoshi could just die and go to hell before slamming the door.

"Oi, what happened?!" Chopper shouted. Running over to Sakura, he looked at her nose. "Your nose is skinned! Here…" He put on some antiseptic and a band-aid. "Feel better?"

"Y-yes," Sakura tearfully said, wiping her eyes. "Thanks Chopper-san."

"What happened in there?!" Nami asked.

"K-kaizoku-neechan… she got r-really mad at me…" Sakura stuttered.

"What did she do to you?" Usopp asked.

"She t-threw a pillow at me and _g-glared_ at me…"

"Hoshi did that?!"

Sakura nodded tearfully. "I… I just wanted to know what was wrong…"

Luffy's eyes were hidden under his hat. Suddenly, he barged into the girl's room and picked up Hoshi off her futon by the neck of her shirt. "What's the meaning of this?" he demanded. "Why'd you make a little girl cry?!"

Hoshi's eyes were completely different. Instead of being their light aqua, they were a malevolent blue he had never seen before. "She was annoying, asking me what was wrong when I just needed some peace," she drawled.

"That's no excuse! She was just worried about you, like the rest of us!"

Hoshi laughed… a dark laugh that sent chills down everyone's backs. "Isn't it?"

Luffy shook Hoshi. "Hoshi! What's the matter with you?! Snap out of it!"

Hoshi yanked Luffy's hand off her shirt. "'Hoshi'?" she asked cynically. "Who's that?" Her eyes hardened. "I'm fed up with this pathetic ship," she announced loudly, walking out of the girl's cabin. "I'm leaving, and I'm not coming back."

Everyone stared at her in shock. "What the hell are you talking about Hoshi?!" Nami demanded.

"That's not my name!" Hoshi yelled. "It's just some stupid word you guys decided to call me by."

Into the stunned silence, Hoshi smiled and said, "Thanks for taking me on, but I'm leaving now." A shadow darkened her face. "Don't ever expect to see me again." She started walking towards the figurehead.

Zoro watched her go, a strange feeling growing in his chest…

_"Man, I sure picked one hell of a ship to be on!"_

_"LUFFY YOU MORON! WHY'D YOU SPIT FOOD ALL OVER ME?!"_

Memories of Hoshi singing and playing her flute, an expression of radiant joy coming over her face as she did…

Hoshi chopping off the head of a Sea King…

Hoshi crying in happiness the night she had been accepted into the crew with her new name…

Hoshi flying in the sky, wings outstretched and whooping in glee…

Hoshi smiling, laughing, yelling, crying…

_"Thank you."_

He couldn't take it, letting her leave like this. He ran and grabbed her shoulder. "Hoshi! Do you realize what you're saying?!"

Hoshi yanked on her shirt, but Zoro held on. "I know exactly what I'm saying. Let me go!"

Zoro tightened his grip. "I'm not letting you!"

"Let me go!!" Hoshi pulled harder… and suddenly, the sleeve ripped, the embroidered stars coming off in Zoro's hand. She cried out and covered her now-exposed shoulder, but it was too late, Zoro had already seen it. She could tell by the look on his face.

Her face drained. "I hate you!" she screamed. "I hate you all!" She jumped onto Merry's figurehead and into the air, pulling out her wings, still clutching her shoulder. She flew towards the island at full speed before disappearing behind a cloud.

There was a moment of shocked silence, before Nami fell to her knees. "It… it can't be…"

That was the general atmosphere, disbelief. Hoshi… was gone.

* * *

_"Of all things possible in this world, I must admit that even I did not expect to see you return here of your own will. What is your motive?"_

_"I'd like to burn this place to the ground, just for starters."_

_"Oh, but that would cause problems for both you and I now, wouldn't it?"_

_"It'd be a big relief to me, knowing this place was nothing but a pile of dust though. That sort of thought makes me happy. It used to be my own special lullaby to myself at night when I couldn't sleep."_

_"Tut tut, you have become quite violent during your years of absence."_

_"Yeah, living with damn people who want to put me into cages trying to catch me all the time can change a person. If you all are really all you're cracked up to be, why doesn't your research tell you that?"_

_"Unfortunately, our research does not include the psychology of the specimens, just their physical characteristics, as you very well know."_

_"That's something I think I was much too familiar with during my time here. Maybe that's a branch you can open up into."_

_"Enough with the small talk. Why have you returned to this place? I would have thought you wanted to stay away from this… what was it you used to describe this place before you left? 'A living hellhole' I belie-"_

_"Just shut the hell up and listen to what I'm going to say, 'cause I'm not repeating this again..."_

* * *

Zoro was reeling in shock… but not about Hoshi leaving. It was the thing on her shoulder that he had seen. It connected perfectly with Hoshi's strange behavior, and her sudden departure from the crew… 

Usopp trembled, then suddenly broke. "HOSHI, YOU BITCH!" he sobbed. "WHY'D Y-"

"DON'T CALL HER A BITCH!" Zoro roared. Everyone stared at him. He clenched Hoshi's sleeve in one fist and continued. "When her sleeve ripped… I saw something on her shoulder that she hadn't wanted anyone else to see. What did she call herself when she first came on the ship again?"

"She said her name was Experiment 413," Robin stated.

"On her shoulder… there was a tattoo of the numbers 413." Into the following silence, he asked, "What do we know about this island?" Zoro pointed to Kobaruto Island, still only about as big as his fist on the horizon.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Nami demanded.

"Just answer the question!"

As if in a daze, Nami went inside and looked up something in a book. Dully, she read aloud. "'Kobaruto Island: An island with two friendly towns and a forest. It is a very small island which specializes in… advancement of science.'" Nami furrowed her brow and continued reading, with more life. "'There have been unconfirmed reports about a laboratory hidden in the forest, though the purpose and motives of such a place are unknown, or if it even exists at all.. There are also rumors of strange creatures roaming the forests at night, neither human nor beast, but somewhere in between. On another hand, Kobaruto Island also specializes in human anatomy, making them the greatest doctors on the Grand Line, second only to the Drum Kingdom.' That's all it says."

"So we know more about the island. What does that have to do with this?" Usopp demanded. There was a lull as everyone thought it over…

Realization struck almost simultaneously.

Nami was the first to speak. "You guys don't think… this island could possibly be…?"

Zoro scowled. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking too."

Sakura tugged on Luffy's pants. "Neh, what's going on?"

Luffy didn't answer. His eyes were hidden under the brim of his hat. "This island… was the place Hoshi never ever wanted to see again," he said grimly. He went and sat on Merry's figurehead. "We need to find her and bring her back. I don't give a damn about what her past was like… I want my musician to come back where she belongs. Who's with me?!"

"AYE!" the whole crew responded.

* * *

_"This is quite an exceptional offer. How will I know that you will keep your end of the deal?"_

_"What, you don't trust me?"_

_"I'm afraid not, not after the havoc you wrecked last time."_

_"…Here then, I'll give you this."_

_"And what significance does this pretty little trinket have, may I ask?"_

_"It was a gift… from the mayor in the first town I hid out in."_

_"Ah, I see. Precious indeed… very well then, I accept your conditions 413. You will return to your accommodated space. We will send for you when it is time."_

_"Whatever. I'm saying YOU'D better keep your end of the deal, or you're going to have hell to pay."_

_"413, are you questioning my word?"_

_"Yes."_

_"You've developed some guts. I'm impressed. Don't worry, even I have heard of your so-called captain. He is making quite a name for himself in the world, and I am not unaware of the strength of his nakama either. I have no wish to make enemies with such a man."_

_"In the normal scheme of things, he would have already considered you his enemy if I was not here."_

_"I am a lucky man then. I suppose you still remember the way to your accommodations? We have changed our facilities very little."_

_"Yes, most unfortunately, I still remember every damned inch of this place."_

_"Very well then. You are dismissed."_

Hoshi listened as her feet tapped out a steady rhythm against the tiled floor of the dimly lit hallway. Turning a corner, she opened a door. The room was small, made of nothing but concrete, with nothing but a cot and a bare light bulb overhead. Pulling a string, she made the bulb flicker to uncertain life. Looking around the concrete room, she sighed.

_Home, sweet home_, she thought bitterly.


	3. Crying?

**Author's Note: 'punches the air' HA! Two chapters in one day! How's THAT for dedication!? 'cackles madly' Ah, the wonderful effects of exotic tea...**

**This chapter was pretty intense to write! I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece**

Chapter Three: Crying?

It was late afternoon when the Straw Hats reached the dock of the closest town. It was a small and cheerful looking town, with laughing people and children playing in the streets. They met up together on deck before they entered the town.

"So what do we do?" Chopper asked. "Hoshi could be anywhere on the island."

"We need to gather more information first," Nami replied. "Everyone, find out anything you can that we don't already know about this island. Even the smallest detail might help us track down Hoshi, so don't start any fights or do anything that'll get us kicked out of town. Got it?"

"Aye," everyone replied.

"We'll meet back at the ship at nine o'clock, so just make sure to be back here by then. Don't do anything reckless!"

Later, Zoro was walking by himself through the town. Looking at this shop and that, none seemed to be very promising for finding any information. Finally, he gave in. He had to start somewhere… so he walked into a dingy looking tea shop. An old woman sat behind the counter. "Customer?" she asked. She scrutinized him through half-moon spectacles. "The ever-alert, the conscientiously wakeful, how many fine things they fail to see."

Zoro blinked. "Er… okay. I'm here to ask a couple questions. Do you think you can answer them?"

"The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible."

"Okay…" _Great, the obassan's lost her mind… _Zoro walked up to the counter. "Is there a laboratory in the forest?"

"Man needs difficulties; they are necessary for health."

Zoro's eyebrow twitched. "Is there one or is there not?!"

"The things we seek are normally so close to our eyes that we cannot see it."

"Look, I'm searching for someone, and I think she may have went to that laboratory," Zoro finally burst out. "Can you tell me where it is?"

"To make a young couple love one another, all that is needed to do is separate them."

Zoro waved his hands in the air, a red tint coming to his face. "W-what are you talking about? It's not like that! She's just my nakam-"

"It is a profitable thing, if one is wise, to seem foolish."

A stress mark appeared on Zoro's forehead. "Forget it," he muttered, walking out the door.

"Look too hard, and you will never find the thing you seek."

"Whatever." Zoro put his hand on the door and opened it.

The woman watched him leave. As he was closing the door behind him, she suddenly said, "Give it up. If she was taken there, she's not coming back."

Zoro turned and narrowed his eyes. "She wasn't taken… she went there of her own will."

The woman's eyes widened. "Then she's good as dead, you mark my words."

To her surprise, Zoro grinned. "You know," he said, "She's not one to die that easy." He closed the door behind him and walked back out onto the street. He looked at the sky. "It's getting dark… I'd better be heading back." He looked up and down the street. "Now… which way is the harbor?"

Watching him go 'cough' the wrong direction 'cough' through the windows of her shop, the old woman folded her hands across her belly and chuckled. "Kids these days…"

* * *

Zoro finally found his way back to the ship… an hour late. 

"Jeez Zoro, where were you?!" Nami demanded. "We were all worried about you!!"

Luffy laughed. "Did you get lost again, Zoro?"

"SHUT UP!!"

"Did you find out anything, Kenbou-san?" Robin asked.

Zoro scowled at the planks. "No."

Usopp sighed. "There're seven of us, and none of us found anything? Does anyone find that a little suspicious? It's like the people are hiding something if you ask me."

"That certainly is a possibility," Robin commented. "However, I heard one thing…"

Everyone looked at her. "What?"

Robin smiled. "I heard a rumor that the people were scared to go into the forest at night, because strange creatures that are neither man nor beast come to life at night."

"N-neither m-man or b-beast?!" Usopp asked. "We should probably stay away from the fore-"

"YOSHA!!" Luffy yelled. "Everyone, get ready! We're going to go into the forest tonight and find Hoshi!"

"B-BAKA!!" Usopp yelled, anime-crying. "What if s-she's not even i-in there to begin with?!"

"Well, I hate to say it, but Luffy's right," Nami sighed. "It's the only lead we have so far."

"Noooooooooo…" Usopp moaned, sinking into a trembling puddle on the deck.

* * *

"413, is it?" A man opened the door to Hoshi's room, interrupting her nap. 

She scowled. "What do you want?"

"Please come with me. We are ready to run some tests on you."

Hoshi sighed and sat up. She was about to walk out through the door when the man stopped her. "Wait."

"What is it?" she growled. "Let's get this over with already."

He held up a silver bracelet. Hoshi froze when she saw it. "I have been ordered to put this bracelet on you, so you will not be able to resist or try to escape."

It took all of Hoshi's willpower, but she grimly held out her wrist. "I guess people here really don't trust me anymore," she muttered, before the effects of the silver took over. She fell, all the strength gone from her limbs, into the man's arms. He put her into a dog crate and rolled her away on a trolley.

The man chuckled, and spoke as he wheeled it along. "I've not been here too long myself, but the rumors I've heard about you are exceptional. Is it true that you managed to set half the lab on fire in an attempt to burn down the whole building when you were four?"

Hoshi scowled. "I was little then. I didn't know that cement wouldn't burn."

The man laughed. "I wish I could have seen it! Is it also true that you escaped by first killing several of the personnel to get into the lab, then knocking over a lab bench with explosive chemicals that blew a hole in the wall?"

Hoshi's scowl deepened. "I don't remember," she lied. "It was something like that, I guess."

"You speak as if you're some sort of war veteran here!" the man chuckled, still amused.

The shadows on Hoshi's face deepened. "You have absolutely no idea."

* * *

"Ahhh… what are we doing here?!" Usopp moaned, clinging to Sanji's arm. 

"Get OFF me, you parasite!" Sanji growled, kicking him away as he held up the lantern.

"OUCH!" Usopp yelled, clutching his nose.

The Straw Hats were tramping down an overgrown trail, going deeper and deeper into the forest.

"What exactly are we trying to do again?" Sakura asked hesitantly, holding Robin's hand.

Robin smiled. "We are trying to find one of these rumored creatures. It may help us to find out where Hoshi has disappeared to."

"But t-that's scary!" Sakura protested.

"You didn't have to come, you know!" Nami chided from up ahead. "We told you that you could stay on the ship if you wanted. You're just a kid, after all."

Sakura shook her head. "No! Alone on the ship is scarier than in here with everyone."

Robin smiled.

"MOOOOOONSTERS!!!" Luffy called. "WHERE AAAAARE YOOOOOOOOU?!?!"

"AH! Luffy, shut up!!" Usopp moaned. "They'll hear you!"

"That's what I want! We're trying to find them, aren't we?"

"I wonder if I'll be able to talk to them," Chopper wondered. "Are they more animal or human?"

"Who knows?" Zoro growled. He kept one hand on his katana. Something about this forest just set his nerves humming in a way he didn't like.

"Huh? What's that over there?" Luffy pointed. There was a twin pair of small glowing lights in front of them. They blinked.

"AHHHHHHH!" Usopp yelled, running in circles. "MAKE FOR THE HIGH HILLS!! SOMEONE DO SOMETH- mmph!" Robin sprouted two hands and muffled him.

"Nagahana-kun, it will be impossible for us to make contact if you keep yelling like that," she chided gently.

"I don't want to make contact…" Usopp moaned.

The eyes edged closer. It spoke. "W… who are… you all?" it asked hesitantly. It sounded like a very young child with a bad cold. "P… people never come… into the forest at night." It came into view. A small boy looked up at them, but he wore nothing but a pair of trousers. He had green, scaly skin and purple ridges ran down his back and his… tail. His pupils were slits set into dark brown eyes. He had a head of mousy brown hair, but he flicked out his tongue. It was split at the end.

He looked at them with sad eyes. "Who… are you?" he rasped. "Not… from… that place… normal…"

Usopp hid behind Zoro. Luffy bent down and held out a hand. "Yo! I'm Monkey D Luffy, the man who's going to become Pirate King!"

Everyone sweatdropped. "Oi."

The boy stared uncomprehendingly at the hand. Suddenly he curled into a ball and shivered, tears starting to come out of his eyes. "Nooo…" he moaned. "I don't… want to…"

Luffy looked alarmed. "You don't want to do what?"

"No more… tests… they hurt…!"

"Hey, take it easy. We're not going to do anything to you," Luffy grinned. He patted the lizard-boy on the head, ruffling his hair a bit.

There were shadows under Nami's eyes. "Hey… are there more like you? I mean, they're sort of half-human?"

The boy looked up and slowly nodded. "Lots."

Nami clenched her teeth. "This is so cruel…" she whispered.

Robin put a reassuring hand on the navigator's shoulder. "Calm down," she advised.

"What can the World Government be thinking, making kids like this?!" Nami started trembling in rage. "This is unbelievable…"

"Hey, kid," Zoro said. The boy looked at him. "Can you show us where you come from?"

The boy looked confused. "W… why?"

Luffy answered. "We're going to tear down that place until it's nothing but dust," he said cheerfully.

"Hang on, since when was THAT part of the plan!?" Nami yelled. "We're here to SCOPE!!"

"One of our nakama came from here, but she went back without telling us why," Luffy continued. "We've come to get her back."

A light of recognition lit up in the boy's eyes. "Phoenix girl?"

"You know her?!" Suddenly, everyone was listening.

"Saw her. Went… and talked to the boss today… yelled at him… boss laughed at her. She… tests being done now. White coat people very happy," he said hesitantly.

Sakura ran up to him and grabbed his shoulders. Her eyes were furious. "What are they doing to Kaizoku-neechan!?" she demanded, shaking him.

He stumbled backwards, looking terrified. "Don't… don't know!" he cried. "Tests! Needles! Silver! Don't know!"

Zoro narrowed his eyes. "Silver?"

"If I show… what will you do?" the boy asked.

"I already said," Luffy said, standing up. "We're going to find Hoshi, then destroy it."

"NO!" The boy grabbed Luffy's pants. "Don't! Please!" he begged. "Most of us inside too!"

"LUFFY!" Nami yelled. "We're going to see where Hoshi is! Don't worry, we won't destroy the place if we can help it," she smiled.

"P… promise?"

"Yes."

The boy still looked suspicious, but he walked off. "Come."

In the light of the lantern, the Straw Hats could just barely see the number 653 tattooed onto his left shoulder as he walked.

* * *

Hoshi waited in the small room, huffing and panting while they reset the maze. She wasn't allowed to fly, and there were booby traps through the whole thing if she went the wrong direction. Burned, cut, and bruised, she had done this damn thing six times already… and they were making her do it again. She looked at the small paper cup of water. She wanted to drink it so badly… but they had put drugs in it to see how that would influence her progress. It was just torture. 

The door began to open. Hoshi braced herself when suddenly, a voice boomed over the loudspeakers. "BRING 413 TO THE BOSS, IMMEDIATELY. I REPEAT, BRING 413 TO THE BOSS, IMMEDIATELY!"

She stood. Hoshi honestly didn't know if she was going to be able to do this… but she had too. Her nakama were on the line.

When she was brought to the boss, he just smiled down at her, bouncing her crystal in his hand. "Keep your side of our agreement, and I will keep mine."

"Understood," she said blandly. Then she was led to the front door of the building. They put her outside and closed the door. Hoshi sat on the grass and waited.

She didn't have to wait long.

"HOSHI!!" Luffy's voice rang out. "HOSHI! YOU'RE ALRIGHT!!"

Hoshi didn't respond. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, and coldly locked down her feelings of hurt and hope at hearing his voice.

The Straw Hats all ran into the clearing, led by one of the other specimens… the lizard boy.

"Hoshi! What happened to you!? You're all cut and bruised! Are you alright?!" Nami asked.

"No."

"That's good to hea- wait, what did you say?"

Hoshi looked up, her eyes cold. "Why did you all come here?"

"To get you back!" Luffy stated.

She raised an eyebrow. "And when did I agree to that? I don't want to come back onto your damn ship anymore."

Luffy laughed. "Cut the jokes! Let's all go back togeth-"

"Who said I was joking?" Hoshi stood, her eyes shadowed. "If you guys don't leave… I'm going to kill you all myself," she told them.

"Kaizoku-neechan!"

"You've brought the brat along too?" Hoshi laughed cruelly. "I didn't want to have to become a child killer either, but if that's what it takes to make you all leave…" She raised her arm and pulled her whip out of the air.

"Kaizoku-neechan!" Sakura was crying. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, you're doing this because of what I said earlier, aren't you!? I didn't mean it! I don't want you to die, and I don't want you to go to he-"

A crack split the air. Sakura cried out, clutching her face. A small cut was bleeding on her cheek.

"Hoshi!" Zoro said firmly. "Cut the crap already, let's go back! Why would you want to come back here anyways?!"

At this, Hoshi almost felt her defenses fall. _Zoro… _"I said it once already," she stated, looking right at him. "I hate you, and I hate this whole bastard crew. All of you get out of here, before I kill you all." She cracked her whip again. A crack in the earth appeared an inch from Luffy's foot. "That was your warning shot. Leave."

Luffy's eyes were hidden under his hat. "Hoshi. Why are you crying?" he asked.

"What the hell are you going on about now?" Hoshi demanded. "I'm not crying."

"You're not, but your heart is," he said. "I can hear it."

Hoshi faltered, before she gave Luffy her death glare. "Cut the crap and get the hell out of here, you bastard!" she screamed, cracking her whip again. It sliced Luffy's arm. He stumbled back a little, but held his ground.

"What the hell are you doing, Hoshi?!" Nami yelled. "Cut this out and come back with u-"

"YOU guys cut it out!" Hoshi shouted. "I'm sick and tired of you all!" Demonic energy started to swirl around her, singing on a minor note. "Get the hell out of here, or I'll blow you all out myself!"

653 whimpered. "Phoenix power…"

Luffy looked down at him. "There's no need for you to stay," he told the boy kindly. "Quick! Go hide yourself somewhere!"

The boy ran. Hoshi chuckled darkly. "Whoever he was, that boy was right. If you all don't leave now, you're going to get a taste of why phoenixes were feared throughout the whole world!"

Luffy just looked at Hoshi, his face expressionless.

"Luffy!" Chopper yelled over the roaring wind that had suddenly picked up. "What do we do?!"

"Hoshi," Luffy roared, his eyes widening. "What the hell are you thinking?!"

Hoshi's eyes were dull and lifeless. "I have no obligation to tell you that." She moved her arm in a sweeping motion.

No one had any more time to do anything as they were blown out of the clearing and into the air by the wind, being roughly handled. On his way up, Zoro saw something that made his already confused thoughts just become even more confused… but he had no more time to think about it as they all sailed in an arc through the air to land at the edge of the forest.

"AND DON'T COME BACK!!" Hoshi's voice screamed in the dying wind.


	4. Nakama

**Author's Note: Ah, damn, the weather's starting to get hot again… XP mosquitoes are coming back too… 'sigh'**

**Disclaimer: I don't own…**

Chapter Four: Nakama

The crew picked themselves off the ground, groaning and rubbing sore parts.

Zoro rubbed his head, wondering at what he had seen. Right before they had all been blown clear into the sky by Hoshi, he saw a tear fall out of her eye, and her eyes had changed from that cruel blue to the familiar aqua, just for an instant.

Chopper lay on the ground, spirals in his eyes. "Ahh…."

"What just happened? Where are we?" Nami groaned.

"You came flying out of the sky in front of my shop," said an old woman. Looking up, Zoro froze.

"Ah! It's you!" he yelled, pointing at her.

"Zoro, you know her?" Nami asked questioningly.

"She's the old woman who is the master at making absolutely no sense when she feels like it," he growled.

The woman cackled. "Yes it's me, young'un. 'If we'd had more time for discussion, we should probably have made a great many more mistakes.'"

She cackled again as they looked at her uncomprehendingly. "Fortunately for you all, that's one quote that I believe in. Now, if you don't mind, what have you all been up to? Youngsters don't come flying out of the sky and voices don't scream out of thin air on regular days, not as long as I've been alive."

She hobbled up the stairs and opened the door to her shop as rain started to fall from the sky. "Come in for a cup of tea and tell me. Don't forget to keep it short."

* * *

"I see," the old woman sighed. "So that's what happened." 

The Straw Hats were all gathered around her table, holding their steaming cups of tea.

"Well, you kids have been through your share of troubles, haven't you?"

Sakura's eyes were downcast. "Neh, bassan… was it my fault Hoshi left?"

"What?!"

"Before she left… I got mad at her. I didn't know what was happening then, so I annoyed her. I got mad because she wouldn't tell me what was wrong, so I kept bothering her. I told her… I told her that…" Sakura's eyes filled with tears. "I told her that I wanted her to die and go to hell. But I didn't mean it! Not like this!!" Her tears overflowed and spilled down her cheeks.

"BAKA!" the old lady roared, hitting Sakura upside the head with her cane. "It was a _child's_ remark! Your friend is way to smart to take that sort of statement seriously!!"

"OUCH!" Sakura yelled.

"Well, what do we do now?" Nami asked. "Hoshi doesn't want to return to the crew."

Chopper was crying into his tea. "Hoshi…"

Zoro wasn't having any tea. He stood in a corner, staring out a window, his face unreadable as the rain poured down.

Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji were all staring into their tea as if hoping the answers would be held within the depths of the brownish water.

Robin delicately sipped hers.

The old woman looked around and gaped. Suddenly, she went on a mad rampage, hitting every part of all seven of them with her cane. "WHY ARE YOU ALL SO UPSET?! ARE YOU ALL IDIOTS?!?" she roared.

"AH! THE TEA-OBASSAN'S LOST HER MIND!" Luffy and Usopp yelled, scrambling over tables as they tried to get away... unsucessfully.

Five minutes later, the obassan sat down and rubbed her shoulders. "Man, I haven't been that active in years!" she laughed at the crew. They all sported at least one big puffy bump. "Something about you guys just makes me feel young again!"

"That's great Tea-obassan, but why'd you hit us?" Luffy asked.

"Don't you guys get it?" she demanded, waving her cane around again. "That friend of yours is one of the best you've got!"

"What?!"

The old woman sighed. "That nakama, Hoshi, you said? You guys said that you suspected this was the island where she was created?"

They all nodded. The old woman continued. "Well, that would mean that the laboratory you all tried to attack was a World Government base!! And this," she said, gesturing around, "has been made into a World Government island without the consent of the people living here! If she had not ditched you all while you were still out at sea, they would have sent a fleet of battleships to attack you, you all waving your pirate flag like that, and you'd all be dead!!"

There was a shocked silence as the crew did some thinking.

"Then… that means, Hoshi actually saved us?!" Usopp asked in a choked voice. "All that talk about hating us… it was all an act?!"

Nami was trembling. "All those horrible things she said… she was just trying to push us away, so we wouldn't get hurt?!"

_"I'm fed up with this pathetic ship. I'm leaving, and I'm not coming back."_

_"Don't expect to see me ever again."_

_"I hate you, and I hate this whole bastard crew."_

_"I don't want to come back to your damn ship anymore."_

_"If you guys don't leave… I'm going to kill you all myself."_

_"I'm sick and tired of you all! Get the hell out of here!"_

"Bingo!" the old lady cackled. "Took long enough for you idiots to catch on, didn't it?"

Robin put her tea cup down on the table. "If you think about it, there's another reason Hoshi said all those things," she commented. Everyone turned their heads towards her as she continued. "To convince the World Government to do or to not do something, you have to offer something as a bargain, something that they would gain in exchange for accepting your agreement. I think Gakushi-san must have offered herself back to the World Government in return for our safe passage through and departure from this island. She didn't want us to save her, or else that would mean that she had not held up her end of the bargain, so she tried to sever ties with us by saying those things. It must have been extremely painful for her."

Usopp started crying. "H-Hoshi is t-truly our n-nakama…"

Nami sighed in relief, putting her face into her hands as a grin almost split her face in two. "Thank goodness… that does sound more like Hoshi."

Luffy laughed... and laughed... and laughed... and laughed...

Everyone sweatdropped. "Did you even understand what Robin said?"

"No, but I got the idea that Hoshi's still our friend, and that's all I need to know!!"

"Ah, my precious Hoshi-chan made such a sacrifice, all for the sake of our lo-"

"SHUT UP SANJI!!" everyone yelled.

Zoro leaned his head back against the wall and concentrated on not letting the relief show on his face. So Hoshi really didn't hate the crew, they hadn't been just another phase of her life on the run... But also… an echo of Hoshi's scream of pain when she was stabbed through the middle at Kiken Island came back to him. The pain she must have suffered to separate herself like that from the crew must have been a thousand times worse than that. He clenched his teeth.

"Well, it's only a theory," Robin reminded them as Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper started dancing around. "It may not be true. Hoshi could have gone to the World Government for other reasons as well and not for our sakes. There is the possibility that she really does consider herself no longer a part of the crew."

"DON'T SPOIL THE MOOD WITH YOUR DAMN LOGIC!!" Nami yelled.

The old lady stood up. "I'll give you all my house to sleep in tonight," she said. "It's getting late, almost eleven 'o clock now. You need your rest first, think over what you want to believe, then decide what to do in the morning."

* * *

Watching her nakama fly away on the wind she had created, Hoshi felt her resolve flicker and die. Falling to her knees, she clutched her belly and retched. She felt them land somewhere on the edge of the forest. Drawing in a deep breath, she screamed, "AND DON'T COME BACK!", creating a wind to carry her words to wherever the crew was. 

Tears trickled out of her eyes as she hugged herself, rocking back and forth slightly. _I'm sorry_, she thought, biting her lip. _I'm so… so… sorry!!_ A raindrop fell on top of her head. More followed, making dark spots on her clothes.

"Impressive performance," the boss commented as the front door slid open. "Even I was almost fooled by your act there… I would have been, if I weren't seeing you with my own eyes right now."

"Shut up, you bastard," Hoshi muttered, standing and wiping her tears. "It's your fault I had to do it… this stupid World Government base…"

"It is thanks to the World Government that you exist at all today."

"Hurrah," Hoshi drawled. "I'm alive to be forced to throw away some of the only people who've ever cared about me. How wonderful," she said, her voice cracking.

The boss gave her thirty seconds before speaking again. "I believe you still have a maze to finish?"

"Damn you and damn this place to hell," Hoshi spat.

The boss opened the door. "This way, 413."

"What a gentleman," Hoshi said sarcastically, walking back into the building. "Tea time's at eleven, then?"

"Not quite," the boss chuckled. "I prefer to get my sleep."

"Aw, how quaint. You have a place to lie your head and know in that shitty head of yours that you're in control. Good for you."

"Do not push my limits," the boss barked. "Get back to the lab and do your maze."

"Hai hai," Hoshi drawled, raising up one hand as she walked down the hall.

"413."

"What is it now?!"

"Keep in mind that you are replaceable. Since we have your DNA samples, we could easily grow another one of you. The only reason I have not had you killed for your cheek yet is because it would take eighteen valuable years to get another specimen up to your level. Though that is not a sacrifice I would not be happy to make, I will make it if I deem it necessary. Understand?"

Hoshi looked at him through dull eyes. "You finished?"

The boss got a stress mark on his head. "Why you-"

Hoshi raised one hand to cut him off. "What more can you do to me?" she asked in a hollow, dead voice. "You made me throw away the only people I cared about in this damn world. Tell me how much deeper you can hurt me without killing me."

The boss looked amused. "Might I remind you that our agreement was your proposal?"

"What choice did I have?!" Hoshi snapped. "If I had sailed here with them, you would have killed them all so you could get me back."

"You could have let them be killed. We know from our observations that you have seen people you were foolish enough to trust be killed countless times. Have you still not learned your lesson?"

"These guys are different," Hoshi murmured. "They knew I was a monster but still… they let me onto their ship and treated me like a real person, not a pet. They all have impossible dreams, but they follow them with such idiotic passion. I…" A tear slid down her cheek. "I don't want to get in their way."

"How touching. So you have enough room in your life for sentimental attachment?" the boss asked cynically.

Hoshi laughed darkly. "No, I don't have room in my life for sentimental attachment since I know you'll use the ones I trust against me. And still…" Memories of the past few weeks flooded into her mind…

Luffy, eating more than she had ever humanly thought possible and laughing like a maniac no matter the situation…

Nami, so full of fire and yelling at the crew to keep their hands off her tangerines…

Usopp, telling lies so proudly standing on top of a barrel…

Chopper, doing his happy dance while calling everyone assholes…

Sanji, being the blonde perverted cook of the crew…

Robin, so kind and gentle and logical, always willing to help out…

And Zoro…

"I'm stupid enough to go out and make friends like them," she whispered as tears ran down her cheeks in a fresh flood. She turned her head away and wiped her eyes with her forearm.

"How touching. Go finish your maze now, you're boring me with this unseemly display of affection. If they decide to return, I'll call for you again."

* * *

In the morning, it had stopped raining. Zoro sat up as the rising sun hit his face through the window. Surprisingly, he was the first one up, judging by everyone else sleeping in odd positions around the living room behind the shop. After scribbling a note to the crew, he stepped outside the shop and started walking around town. He had a lot to think about. 

Hoshi… he wondered what was the real truth out of the two Robin had stated last night.

At the moment though, he didn't know, and he didn't really care. What he wanted to do was to beat the shit out of the people at that laboratory. They had been the cause of all her pain and her indecision, so that made them the bad guys, World Government or no. Once he had figured out who the bad people were, the rest was pretty simple… hunt them down and beat the crap out of them. He grinned. Maybe thinking like Luffy wasn't such a bad thing after all… it definitely made everything less complicated.

Suddenly, he felt a cold bolt run up his back and turned to see people coming out of the alleyways holding guns. They pointed the black barrels at him. "Roranora Zoro," one of the men said. "I'm afraid you will have to come with us."

Well didn't this make everything easier? The bad guys had come looking for him.

* * *

Hoshi cried out in pain. This morning's test was to see how much electricity her body could stand, resulting in the whitecoats shoving her into a metal box with stickers holding down wires over specific parts of her body. It was completely dark. Hoshi felt fear start to eat her common sense. She HATED the dark with a burning fiery passion… 

When the next wave of electricity was inserted into her body, she _screamed_ to the high heavens. This one was at least five hundred volts stronger than the last one. She dimly heard voices outside the box…

"Damn! Who put the electricity up so high!?"

"No one did, it was a freak machine malfunction."

"Hurry and get it out of there! We need to get it to the medical personnel or it's not going to last long!!"

_'It?'_ Hoshi thought sluggishly as she was thrown onto a trolley and wheeled to another part of the building.

* * *

"Jeez, Zoro went out for a walk?" Nami growled, skimming over the note that the swordsman had written. "We're going to have to go look for him later or else he'll never find his way back…" 

"He won't?" Chopper asked.

"He's got the worst sense of direction known to mankind," Nami said empathetically. Then she reconsidered. "Except for that guy," she stated, jabbing her thumb at Luffy who was chowing down breakfast.

She turned and faced the old lady. "Obassan, thanks for letting us stay at your place last night!"

The lady cackled. "No problem, it was my pleasure! Have you all decided what you're going to do?"

"We're going to attack the place and get Hoshi back!" Luffy said through a mouthful of food.

Usopp sweatdropped. "Easygoing as always…"

* * *

A voice came over the loudspeakers. "DELIVER 413 TO HOLDING ROOM TWELVE. REPEAT: DELIVER 413 TO HOLDING ROOM TWELVE." 

"Damn," one of the doctors muttered. "I still haven't gotten all her burns yet."

"Well, we need to do what the loudspeaker says," his assistant pointed out.

"Why the hell do they want her in Holding room 12? The Holding rooms are for criminals!"

Hoshi was wondering that too as they pushed her to her feet and made her walk. The boss was waiting for her outside the door. "Ah, 413. I believe you'll find the person inside of… special interest," he commented as she walked down the corridor.

She scowled darkly. "What is it now?"

The boss smiled. "You'll see."

Something clicked when Hoshi saw the smirk on his face, and her eyes widened with rage. "You promised not to touch them if I came back!" she roared at him. "You promised!"

The boss' eyes narrowed as he smirked. "I promised with my fingers crossed."

She lunged for him. "You damn bast-"

The boss opened the door and the three gunmen accompanying him pointed their guns at the person sitting inside. "I am a what, exactly?" he asked manevolently.

Hoshi ground her teeth and bit her tongue, stopping her fist one inch from his face. The man smiled. "That's better." He opened the door further. "I am a kind man. I will give you half an hour with your former nakama, then he will be released, and you can resume your tests." He pushed Hoshi into the room and locked the door behind her.

Hoshi didn't waste any time. She ran up to the man who was sitting on a bench and chained to the wall by meter-long shackles on his wrists and ankles. Stopping short about two feet in front of him, she stared down at him, trying to decide whether to hug him or punch him first.

"Yo, Hoshi," Zoro grinned, looking up. He raised a hand in greeting. "Been doing well?"


	5. Human or Monster?

**Author's Note: AHOY FAITHFUL READERS/ REVIEWERS! PLEASE LOOK AT MY PROFILE, THERE IS A SPECIAL NOTE FOR YOU RIGHT AT THE TOP!!**

**Disclaimer: One Piece I don't own, Hoshi and plotline I do**

Chapter Five: Human or Monster?

Hoshi decided on the second option. She punched him in the face. "You IDIOT!" she roared. "What the hell did you do to get yourself landed in here!?"

"Worried about me?" he asked. "I'm touched. Especially after the whole 'if you don't get out of here, I'm going to kill you' act last night."

She froze. Zoro's face grew serious. "Hoshi, tell me the truth and don't lie to me. Did you really come back here because you felt like it, or because you were worried about us?"

Hoshi looked away. She couldn't meet his eyes, not after all the things she had said before…

"Luffy still believes in you," Zoro said, sensing her indecision. "We all do."

Hoshi's eyes flickered. "Idiots," she muttered, not looking at him but at a corner of the room. "That's part of the reason why I left… you all are so stupid and conceited."

Zoro grinned in relief. Hoshi had just answered his question, even if she didn't know it. He stood and put his hands on her shoulders. "Aren't we?

Hoshi squeezed her eyes shut, trembling. "You don't have to carry all this yourself you know," Zoro stated. "We can help… it's what nakama are for."

"I can't," she whispered. "You guys aren't involved in this."

Zoro smiled. "Well I don't know about the others, but where I'm concerned, I think I'm already involved." He shook the chains on his wrists a little to prove his point.

She looked away. "Hmph. Like I should care," she huffed. It would have been a rather convincing statement had her voice not cracked in the middle.

Zoro shook her slightly. "Don't carry this by yourself when you don't need to, you idiot!"

"Shut up!" Hoshi snapped. "It's none of your buisiness!"

"Yes it is, if it means I get tied up and put into a cell!" Zoro snapped back.

She refused to answer. A bubble of guilt rose inside her chest and started to swell. Why was he even still talking to her, like they were still nakama? How could he even stand the sight of her? She didn't deserve it. She had hurt him and the crew so badly… She had done everything she thought that she could to make the crew hate her… to stay away and forget about her… a burst of their smiling faces erupted in her mind, and a cry of pain almost made its way out of her lungs. It clawed at her throat, but she bit her lip and refused to let it out. She could NOT return there, not if she wanted them to live…

"Hoshi…" Zoro narrowed his eyes. "Why are you pushing us away?"

Against her will, Hoshi started to tremble under his hands. A strangled whisper forced its way out of her throat. "I… I don't…"

Hoshi faltered before her defenses gave away completely and she broke. She stepped into his embrace and cried with all the pain and stress she had been suffering against his chest. "I don't want to see you get killed," she sobbed. "I can't go through that pain… not again! Too many times…" At this, her voice closed, and she just trembled against Zoro as tears rolled down her cheeks.

He wrapped his arms comfortingly around her. "It's alright," he murmured into her hair, pulling her close. He wished he could just take away all of her pain and make it disappear so she would stop trembling. But all he could do for now was hold her tight and let her know that he was there.

After a few minutes, Hoshi pulled back. "Sorry," she said. "I got your shirt wet."

Zoro tenderly wiped her remaining tears away with his thumb. "That's okay," he said, smiling. She hesitantly gave him a watery smile and his widened. "That's better. You look better with a smile on your face." Suddenly, he blushed. "I mean... um, well I didn't mean it like _that_…"

Hoshi's smile widened. "That's okay," she murmured, cutting him off. She wrapped her arms under his shoulders and pulled him close, leaning her forehead against his neck. It gave her comfort, feeling his solid warmth in her arms. She felt as though an enormous weight had just been lifted from her shoulders. Zoro, at least, didn't hate her for what she had said before…

Zoro hesitated this time, but he still responded in kind, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"I… I want to come back to you guys," she whispered. "I hate it here. I'm not a person anymore… I'm just an 'it' again. A damn, worthless, _replaceable_ 'it'."

Anger flared inside Zoro. "Who the hell told you that you were replaceable?!" he demanded.

Hoshi didn't answer.

"If you're stupid enough to believe crap like that, I'm going to loose all respect for you," he threatened.

She grinned a little. "At least I'm not worthless where you guys stand," she murmured gratefully.

"Then leave," Zoro said. "There's no reason for you to stay here."

Hoshi shook her head. "I… I can't. They're all counting on me…"

Zoro tightened his grip. "Who?"

Hoshi was quiet and she didn't answer for a moment, before she leaned up and whispered something in his ear. His eyes widened, and he pulled back, staring at her. "Are you sure about that?!"

Hoshi nodded. "I've given them the wrong impression by coming back here… I have to take responsibility."

"You really are an idiot. Do you have a plan?" Zoro demanded. "What are you going to do? Fly them all over the ocean?"

"I'll think of something!" Hoshi insisted. "The people of the villages are really open and accepting… they might…"

"That's ridiculous," Zoro snapped. "You'd have to destroy this place first, or they'll just all be toted back in a week."

Hoshi's eyes darkened. "Heh… that's on my 'to do' list anyways."

Zoro forced Hoshi to meet his gaze. "Want our help?"

Hoshi's eyes widened, and she shook her head. "No!" She suddenly covered her mouth. "I… I didn't mean it like that… but this is just something I have to do myself." She looked at him pleadingly. "Tell me you understand."

He grinned. "I understand… I'm just going to have a hell of a time convincing Luffy not to tear the place down himself. He wanted to do that when we came to get you last night."

Hoshi winced and said, "Well THAT would have caused a few problems now, wouldn't it?"

Zoro grinned. He pulled her a little closer. "Don't hurt yourself. You're already burned up a bit. What've they been doing to you here?!"

She leaned her forehead against his with a slight bump. "I thought you hadn't noticed that."

"Yeah right. Tell me."

She shrugged. "They're scientists. They run tests. Nothing bi- ouch!"

Zoro took his finger off one of her burns. "That's not a fire burn," he said. "What the hell happened?!"

Hoshi pulled away. "It's fine. I'm used to it."

He grabbed her arm and forced her to meet his gaze. "You can't stay here," he told her. "It's going to kill you eventually."

"I don't plan to," Hoshi assured him. "Don't worry, staying here's always been the last thing I want to do." Her eyes darkened. "It's this place I hate."

Instinctively, Zoro pulled her close and quickly grabbed the back of her head, closing the distance between their lips in a flash. Hoshi gasped in surprise, but then relaxed with a sigh, melting into his arms and kissing him back. He wrapped his arm protectively around her and pulled her closer. Breaking for air, he tenderly kissed her forehead. She let him, then she tucked her head snugly under his chin.

They stood like that for a while, feeling their hearts beat against one another. No words were said. None needed to be said.

Neither of them were aware of the small fish-eye cameras in every corner of the room.

They heard footsteps in the hall and quickly sprung apart as the door handle turned. Zoro quickly sat back down on the bench and Hoshi crossed her arms. The poor man who opened the door received the 'death-by-staring' treatment. He hurridly stepped backwards, and the boss poked his head inside the door. "Are you done?"

"Let him go, NOW," Hoshi demanded. "You gave me your word."

The boss sighed. "I suppose I did… though it makes my heart break to part with a potential 70,000,000 Beli to support our research he-"

Hoshi glared at him. "Don't make that scary face," he said, amused. He turned to the men on either side of him. "Release him, and escort him to the door."

"What about my katana?" Zoro asked as the men unlocked his chains.

The boss grinned. "I think I'll give them back to you once our doors have been shut behind you, Roranora Zoro. I'm not stupid enough to arm you while you are still in our facilities."

"Fair enough," Zoro agreed.

As he was led away down the hall, he turned his head and looked at Hoshi. She met his gaze, her eyes determined. He grinned.

Hoshi watched him leave with a pang. If things didn't go right, it would be quite possible that she would be killed and this was the last time she was ever going to see him. The thought made her heart clench, and she gritted her teeth. _I'm not going to die here_, she vowed. _Not in this damn hellhole. I need to make amends with everyone. And Zoro…_

"Back you your testing now, 413," the boss barked. "I believe your next one will test your flexibility."

She winced. Considering what she knew about the machines here… that wasn't going to be any fun.

* * *

_"Hey, come and take a look at this."_

_"What is it now?"_

_"It's the video of 413 from this morning."_

_"So?"_

_"… just come and watch it. I've just got to say, after watching this, suddenly I feel uneasy for some reas-"_

_"Ah, you're just being a wuss."_

_"No, seriously. You have to see this."_

* * *

"Jeez Zoro, how'd you get lost in the damn FOREST?" Usopp demanded. "Your note said you went for a walk in TOWN."

The crew had found Zoro wandering around in the forest. He had been put outside the lab and told which way to go back to town… and he had gotten lost.

Zoro got a stress mark on his head. He refused to answer. For some reason, he felt like he shouldn't tell the crew that he had been taken inside the lab… unless some talk of going back before Hoshi had finished what she said she was going to do came up.

"Something's wrong with this forest," Chopper shivered. "It's so… sad," he said, for the lack of a better word.

"I agree with Isha-san," Robin spoke up unexpectedly. "Not that it's really sad, but I feel like we're being watched."

"I've just got a bad feeling," Usopp said, looking around nervously. "It's like a horror movie. The hero's just walking in the strange and spooky forest, when SUDDENLY the monster comes out and fatally wounds him, and he stumbles back to town where he gets better then comes back out then gets killed by the monster." A strange little thought bubble popped out of Usopp's head, acting out the scene as he said it. (Strangely, the hero looked somewhat like Usopp…)

"Baka," Sanji sighed, sucking on his cigarette. "This ain't a movie. If people get fatally wounded, they die. The idiot hero would have been dead the first time around." The scene in the thought bubble suddenly rewound and played the hero dying the first time.

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Usopp and Chopper yelled. The thought bubble disappeared.

Nami shivered and looked around. "Now that you guys mention it… it feels cold. Let's get out of here as soon as possible."

Luffy looked around at all of them, a slightly baffled look on his face. "What're you talking about?"

"Nothing," they all replied.

"Look!" Chopper said, pointing. "It's the town!" And so it was… the town was barely visible through a gap in the trees.

"Yosh. Everyone!" Nami called, demanding attention. "Listen up. I think the best thing we can do with today is to restock the ship. Tonight, we'll talk about what we're going to do about Hoshi. Think about it while you're out today, and gather information too if you can."

The crew agreed to this, and everyone went their separate directions.

* * *

Hoshi collapsed onto her cot, her body sore and aching. The flexibility machine hadn't done her any good.

Through all the tests, there was one thing that made a sharp needle of anguish slice through her body. A new scientist who didn't quite know his way around yet had opened the door to the wrong room. Wheeling her in, he had called out for his companions, but no one had answered. Confused, he had turned on the lights…

… to a roar of protest from the experiments that were being held in there.

Remembering it, Hoshi shuddered. The sound had been… hell. A person running a nail down a chalkboard would have been sweet music to her ears at that moment. The tortured cries of a those beings with deformed or malfunctioning voice boxes, accompanied by the rattling of cage doors…

_"Let us out!!"_

_"I… I'm dying in here…!"_

_"Damn whitecoat, let us OUT!"_

The absolute worst part was out of the nine, they were all children, kids, probably six or seven. And one was only an _infant_, not knowing what was happening to her except that it was bad. They had been screaming, crying, begging, raging... Pure anguish, pain beyond anything imaginable…

Breathing hard, Hoshi stared at the ceiling. _Brings back memories_, she thought bitterly, clutching the tattoo on her shoulder and digging her nails in. Her eyes hardened. She had told Zoro… She was the only one who could save them, the only one who cared that they were human while the shitty whitecoats all looked down on them as monsters. They would all die if she couldn't get them out, and they hadn't even done anything wrong! They were just KIDS!

_Tonight_, Hoshi vowed.

* * *

"_This… this can't be…"_

"_Do you get it?! We haven't been messing around with an animal like we thought! She's a-"_

"_No, don't say it. There has to be some sort of rational explanation for this…"_

"_Have you forgotten?! We're scientists! We deal with truth, and the truth is-"_

"_If we say that's true, then all the beings we've ever created… and killed… the very point of our entire rsearch… what does that make us!?"_

"…"

"_Exactly."_


	6. Getting Out, Getting In

**Author's Note: SPECIAL PRESENT! This really may or may not be the last chapter I post for the next couple weeks… it depends where I've got internet connection…**

**Let's play a gaaame! Who can match the kids up with the animal they were bonded with? POST ANSWERS IN YOUR REVIEWS AND I WILL TELL YOU IF YOU WERE RIGHT! **

**It might also help if you open a word document and copy/paste the descriptions of the kids onto it, just so you don't get them mixed up… it'll make your life a hell lot easier when you read.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own**

Chapter Six: Getting Out, Getting In

It was absolutely quiet. Hoshi waited for a really long time, but no sound filtered in. She sat up and carefully walked to the door in her bare feet. She closed her eyes and concentrated, freezing the air in place inside the lock. Then she turned her hand, and unlocked it.

There was no one in the hall. Hoshi carefully looked up and down but nothing was there. There was nothing there. Carefully, Hoshi slipped out of her room and ran down the hallway. She ran as fast and as quietly as she could, her bare feet barely touching down on the floor. Clenching her teeth, she scowled at how unbearably SLOW she seemed to be going. Those kids…why should they have to wait any longer if she was out?! Tears ran down her cheeks as she ran. She couldn't stand those kids suffering even another second, because she understood the pain… she had lived through it for too long…

_Damn, I've been crying way too much recently_, Hoshi thought bitterly.

There was another reason she wanted to come back here and save the kids though… one that she hadn't told anyone, not even Zoro. There was one specific kid she wanted to save… she had made him wait for eight years… her eyes narrowed and she resisted the urge to pull out her wings to go faster.

_Just... a little more... wait for me!_

* * *

Zoro looked up as something clicked in his mind. It was like a brief alarm bell… _Hoshi must have started moving_, he realized. 

The others were arguing whether to go back to the lab or not that night. They had re-supplied the ship, and the Log was set. They would be ready to go if it weren't for Hoshi not being there.

"We need to go back!" Luffy stated firmly.

"That's ridiculous! How're we going to find our way there in the first place?!" Nami demanded. "It would be better if we could search for it in the day, when we can actually see!"

"No! We'll find another one of those kids and make them lead us there!"

"That's out of the question! Finding that kid was pure luck and you know it!"

Sanji, Chopper, and Usopp all sat on a three-person couch, just watching the two of them argue. Robin and Zoro leaned against the wall, and Sakura stayed nearby Robin.

"Neh, aren't you going to say anything?" Sakura asked.

Robin smiled. "No, they'll figure things out eventually."

Sakura sweatdropped. "That's… _eventually…_"

This debate continued on for some time, before Luffy finally slammed his hand on the table with impatience, silencing Nami. "Listen up everyone. We're going there tonight!" he yelled. "We're going to go get Hoshi, then leave behind rubble!"

"No!"

Everyone looked. The lizard-boy gasped and hid behind the tea-obassan.

"Aren't you the one from last night?" Robin asked.

"He is!" Sakura said, peering at the boy curiously.

The boy peeked out from the tea-bassan's skirts. She patted him on the head. "This guy came in last night shortly after you all fell asleep. He seemed to want to make sure you were okay."

"Can you lead us back there?" Luffy asked. "We need to get our nakama back!"

The boy vigorously shook his head, his scales rustling slightly.

"If it's the others you're worried about, don't be," Zoro said from his place by the window. "They'll be okay."

Distrusting eyes met his gaze. "H-h-how do you know that?" the boy demanded.

Zoro crossed his arms across his chest. "When I went out for a walk this morning, I was taken by some World Government dogs to the lab."

Everyone stared at him. "Why are you telling us this NOW?!" Nami demanded.

Zoro shrugged. "I managed to talk with Hoshi. She has her own plans… and she's moving tonight. She said she's going to save those kids, but if I know her, she only has it planned up to getting them out of the building."

The boy's eyes lit up. "Phoenix girl!?"

Zoro nodded. The boy laughed… really laughed for the first time since they had met him. All traces fear vanished from his face, and the child he really was shone through. "Knew it!" he said triumphantly. "Knew it!"

"How'd you know?" Chopper asked.

The boy tried his best to explain. "Years ago, 'periment 489 told us! Told us phoenix girl escaped, would come back for us! He said she'd come, he said. So we wait, and 'sterday she come! Now whitecoats can't do anything no more!"

He laughed, tears forming in his eyes. "No more tests, no more needles!"

"Just how many of you are there in that lab?" Nami asked.

His face darkened a little. "Nine. I 'scaped last night. Others know. They tell."

Zoro's eyes narrowed a little. "What about this Experiment 489 you told us about?" he asked. "Is he still there?"

The boy's face fell. "… no," he said. "Whitecoats took him 'way one day, didn't bring back. 'periment 648 saw him later… in the smelly room. Not coming back."

There was a heavy silence for a moment as each member entertained morbid thoughts of the 'smelly room', before Luffy stood up, his chair scraping on the floor. "Obassan, thanks for letting us stay in your house," he said, walking towards the door. "We're going to be Hoshi's backup."

Wordlessly, the rest of the crew got up and followed him. He turned. "Kid, you going to show us how to get there?"

The boy nodded. "Obassan, thanks!" he smiled, running out after them with a wave. "Can I bring my friends later too?"

The tea-lady smiled. "You're such a sweet boy… you're welcome any time, and your friends are too!"

"YOSH!" Luffy yelled. "HOSHI, HANG IN THERE! WE'RE COMING!!!!!"

"AYE!" the crew responded.

"Keep it down you brats, you're going to wake up the whole town!" the tea-lady called.

They were already too far away to hear her. She sighed as she watched the dark forest swallow them up. "Are they going to be alright?" she wondered aloud. Looking at the sky, she saw the inky blackness with little pinpricks of light and smiled. "Hoshi… huh?

I bet you've grown up some by now."

* * *

Hoshi unlocked the door, quietly. The door swung forward on oiled hinges with no sound at all. She heard the kids wake up immediately and hold their breaths. 

Kneeling by the nearest cage, she unlocked it. The poor child inside whimpered. "I don't want to do any more…"

"You're not going to," Hoshi replied, leaving the door open and moving onto the next cage.

She unlocked all the cages quickly and waited for the kids to come out. "If you want to leave this place, come with me now. If you don't then just stay here."

There was dead silence as none of them moved an inch. She sighed. "I see… well if that's the way you wan-"

"Wait!" The one whose cage she unlocked first crept out. It was a girl. She seemed extremely fragile, with a body that was too lanky for its own good and wispy brown hair. Her eyes were a bit of a strange shape, more narrow, and her nose was a little pointed. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice little more than a whisper.

Hoshi smiled. "Kids aren't supposed to be in cages."

One by one, the others crept out. Hoshi walked to the cage with the infant girl and picked her up tenderly. "Let's see who we have here," she said, looking at the kids grouped around her. "Fox, cat, jaguar, raccoon, bear, bird, horse, panda, and koala," she stated. "Am I correct?"

The kids nodded, their faces still distrusting. Hoshi sighed. "This isn't going to work if you guys don't trust me every step out of here," she said.

"Well how do we know?" the first girl demanded. "This could be another test."

They murmured in agreement. Hoshi pulled out her wings, and they gaped. "You… you're the phoenix girl!" one of them whispered.

Hoshi was a little startled at this, but quickly recovered. "Yeah, that's me."

Excited whispers. "Phoenix girl!" "She came!" "Just like 489 said!"

"489?" Hoshi asked. "You guys know him?"

They nodded happily. "Where is he?" she demanded.

The sudden silence and the way all their faces fell told Hoshi EXACTLY where 489 was. She clenched her teeth and resisted the urge to break down before smiling at them again. "Now do you trust me?"

They all nodded.

"Good. We're going to go around and say numbers really quick, starting with you," she said, nodding to the mousy-haired girl.

"614."

"659," said a boy with pitch black hair. His eyes were eerily yellow… and he grinned, showing teeth that made a _point. _(Lame joke, ahoy!)

"638," came from a girl with flaming red hair and quick eyes. She had a thick, silky tail that was the same color as her hair with a white spotch on the end.

"640," a muscular boy with dark brown hair said. When he grinned, it revealed that his teeth were also slightly pointed.

"627," said a chubby boy with pitch black hair and white skin.

"694," came from a girl with short blonde hair. Her eyes were pitch black, and she seemed to be extremely fragile…

"625." This one came from a boy with black hair, oddly feline-shaped ears, and a black tail.

"648," said the youngest girl of the lot. A gleam of wicked humor stood out strongly in her eyes.

"And the girl right there," 614 said, pointing to the baby, "is 735."

Hoshi smiled. "Nice to meet all of you! Now listen, I need you all to listen and do exactly what I say or else we're all going to get caught…" She gathered them close and quickly whispered several words.

"That's it?" 625 asked disbelievingly. "You don't want us to help?"

Hoshi nodded.

"Are we going to meet any whitecoats?" 627 asked a little timidly. He looked at his hands as if that would tell him the answer.

Hoshi sighed. "Yes, most likely. They have cameras all over this building, so someone's going to see us sooner or later."

627 whimpered. "Ah, don't be such a baby," 640 said. "Can we eat afterwards?" he asked Hoshi. "I'm hungry."

"We'll see. Let's concentrate on one thing at a time." Hoshi handed the baby to 614. "Hold her for me, would you?" she asked. "I'm going to need both hands."

614 wordlessly took the baby.

Hoshi stood and stretched, pulling her wings back in. "You all ready?"

They looked scared, but they nodded. She grinned. "Good," she said, opening the door. "Come on then, let's blow this place."

* * *

"Almost there!" 653 called. "'S just up there!" He pointed. 

"Yosh, thanks!" Luffy said, running ahead. "You'd better find someplace to hide and wait for us to come back out."

The boy nodded and ran off into the undergrowth.

Luffy yelled. "WORLD GOVERNMENT BASTARDS YOU'D BETTER BE READY FOR WHAT'S COMING TO YOU!"

They charged into the clearing. Luffy punched down the door. "Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"

And with that, they were in. Now all they needed to do was actually find Hoshi as the alarms started screaming.

* * *

"STOP THEM!" one of the scientists yelled. "THEY'RE GETTING AWAY!!" 

Four whitecoats blocked the hall in front. "Damn," Hoshi muttered, turning around… only to realize that there were more coming from behind. She pulled her whip out of the air. "Kaze Kakuhan… Uindo Sunappu!" she yelled, taking down all four in front at once. She looked at the kids. "Remember what I told you! You have to obey everything I say _instantly_, else you're toast!"

"Hai!" they yelled. They ran, and Hoshi came behind them.

"Stop right there!" A group of scientists ran out with scalpels. The kids almost stopped running, but Hoshi yelled, "Keep going!!"

They obeyed.

Hoshi jumped over their heads and took out the scalpel-wielding scientists. "Shiruba Hebi!"

The kids jumped over the groaning scientists. 659,638, 640, and 625 all took special pains to brutally stomp on faces and fingers as they ran past.

"Good job!" Hoshi commended them. They all looked very pleased with themselves, and were laughing.

Suddenly, an alarm started screaming, nearly blowing out their eardrums. "INTRUDER ALERT, INTRUDER ALERT," the loudspeakers yelled. "UNITS ONE THROUGH SIX REPORT TO THE FRONT DOOR IMMEDIATELY. UNITS ONE THROUGH SIX REPORT TO THE FRONT DOOR IMMEDIATELY!!"

Hoshi was so surprised she actually stumbled and fell. She avoided actually colliding with the floor with a quick one-handed flip, but it caused the kids to notice.

"Are those people you know?" 638 asked. Her red hair was clearly visible, even in this light.

Hoshi was torn. She wanted to scream and laugh and cry, but the main was between wondering if she was going to hug them or beat the hell out of all of them first.

"Don't worry, they're friends," Hoshi assured them, just as a flood of whitecoats started coming from either side of the hall. "Shit," she muttered. "Everyone, get flat against the left wall and take up as little wall space as possible. Get ready to run like hell the instant I'm finished."

The kids acted with lightening-fast movements. In a blink, they were all huddled against the wall, taking up the least amount of space possible. Hoshi stood in front of them as the whitecoats made a semi-circle of empty space around the kids, eyeing her whip warily.

"Kaze Kakuhan: Kakyoku no Kaze." Hoshi closed her eyes and got into position as the scientists attacked. Her eyes snapped open with new force. "ICHIBAN KASHOU!"

A C sharp note suddenly rang in the air as the whip flew, stopping all incoming scientists with a ray of pure sound. It shot straight through their bodies.

"W… what was that?" 647 asked, trying to make his big bulk smaller by crouching into a ball.

"A sound wave," Hoshi grunted as more scientists rushed in. "SHUNKAN KASHOU!" This time, the air rang with a G.

"SANBAN KASHOU!" An A flat…

"YOTTSU KASHOU!" A high-pitched E…

"ITSUTSU KASHOU!" A B flat rang and reverberated in the air. Sweat poured down Hoshi's face as she sent the soundwave beyond her normal limits, pushing it to go farther… and farther…

All of the scientists were knocked out, their delicate balancing systems (located conveniently for Hoshi in the inner ears) all messed up.

"Run!" Hoshi commanded, wiping sweat off her face. The kids obeyed, giving her stares of amazement as they went.

She ran after them. 625 looked back, concerned. "You okay?" he asked. "You look tired."

"Just a little," she admitted. "Those attacks take some energy to use."

_I am such a liar_, she thought. _Kakyoku no Kaze is a series of songs where I use the whistling by my whip and amplify it directly into the person's ears… but it takes a lot of energy and concentration… damn, being stuck in this lab and tested on for two days hasn't done much good for my physical condition. I'll only be able to use it once more, if I have too…_

The next wave of scientists came head on, but this time… Hoshi squinted in the dim light and realized almost too late…

"FIRE!"

Hoshi threw herself on top of the kids, knocking them all down to the ground just as there was an ear-splitting crack as the bullets wizzed over their heads.

"Stay down," Hoshi instructed. She got up and ran towards the gun wielders, hate in her eyes. She let her whip disappear and used some of her, for the lack of a better word, unorthodox method of martial arts to take them out. Flowing seamlessly from attack to block and attack again in a blink of an eye, it was impossible to follow her movement and in thirty seconds, all the gun-wielders were unconsious.

"What sort of fighting was _that_?" asked 659, awed.

"It's a water-movement based fighting," Hosh answered. "Quick, let's go!"

* * *

"GOMU GOMU NO GATTELING GUN!" 

"THUNDERBOLT TEMPO!"

"Santoryuu... TATSUMAKI!"

"FIVE STAR KICK COURSE!"

"HEAVY POINT: JURRYOU KYOUKA!"

"NAMAIIBOSHI!"

"CIEN FLEURS!"

"Damn, just how many of these guys are there?" Nami asked as more and more kept coming.

"Who knows?" Zoro growled. "All I know is that I don't give a damn. We need to get deeper inside this building and find Hoshi."

"And just," Sanji kicked soldier after soldier, "how do you propose we do that? There's no end to them!"

Needless to say, things were getting very active at the front gate… and it was only promising to get crazier before it ended.

"HOSHI!" Luffy roared. "WE'RE HERE TO GET YOU!!" He punched some soldiers as he kept yelling. "WE KNOW EVERYTHING HOSHI! COME BACK TO US!!"

* * *

Hoshi gasped as a familiar voice reached her ears. It was too faint to make out everything, but she caught the last four words. "COME BACK TO US!"

Relief crashed into her, almost physically knocking her over, and tears brimmed in her eyes.

_They really came... to get me... even after everything I said..._

She grinned, and picked up her speed. "Let's go!" she told the kids. "My... my nakama are here to pick us up!"


	7. Reason for Existence

**Author's Note: sorry if this chapts a little rushed**

**Disclaimer: i don't own it**

Chapter Seven: Reason for Existence

"Your nakama?" 614 asked disbelievingly. "Are they more whitecoats?"

Hoshi stared in astonishment, then laughed. "No way! They, I mean, WE'RE pirates!"

All nine kids gaped at her. "_Pirates_?!"

She grinned. "Don't worry, they're a good bunch. We'll just put it like this if we get captured: I kidnapped you. How's that? Then you all won't get into trouble."

"No way!" 638 said empathetically. Her tail streamed out behind her as she ran. "I'd rather be a pirate than come back here!"

"That's right!" chorused 625 and 694. The others nodded in agreement.

Hoshi furrowed her brow as the next band of scientists blocked their way. "Well if you say so… but then you all have to have names. Not number names, more like real names." She jumped at the first scientist, cracking her whip. "Yosh, everyone listen up!" she yelled.

"694, you are officially renamed Tori.

"625, you are Neko.

"638, you are Kitsune.

"627, you are Panda.

"614, you are Uma.

"659, you are Kakyou.

"648, you are Raku.

"640, you are Oso.

"735 is Koara.

"Everybody, got your new names?" she yelled as the last scientist fell.

Turning, she saw the kids gaping at her. "A… are you sure that's okay?" asked the newly renamed Neko. His tail switched back and forth nervously.

Hoshi grinned, then motioned for them to keep running. They followed her like a bunch of little puppies. "It's fine, believe me. I didn't feel too comfortable with my new name for a while, but I got used to it."

"What's your name anyways?" Kitsune asked.

"Hoshi," she grunted as she rammed her shoulder into yet another scientist.

"'Star'?" Tori asked with surprise.

"Yeah," Hoshi nodded. "I used to be 413," she explained, unconsciously rubbing her shoulder, "but my captain was the one who told me that I should have an actual name."

Raku whistled softly. "I bet he's really smart," she said.

Hoshi stared at the girl in astonishment before bursting out into laughter.

Panda started panting. Kitsune glanced at him, concern in her eyes. "You okay 62- I mean, Panda?"

"Y… yeah…" he gasped.

Hoshi looked at him. This pace they had been keeping would be pretty harsh on a kid of his bulk… she inwardly sighed. "Can you keep up?" she asked, not unkindly.

He looked at her, and Hoshi saw determination in his eyes. "I'm going to even if it kills me!" he vowed passionately.

Hoshi raised an eyebrow. "If you say so." There was a roar of sound that was steadily growing louder… suddenly, she grinned as she realized what it was.

"What?" Oso asked, picking up on the smile.

"We're really close," she said. When they turned the corner, there was a mass of soldiers… all unsuccessfully trying to stop the intruding pirates.

* * *

"Just how many of them are there?!" Nami yelled. 

"It doesn't matter!" Luffy roared. "Hold until every last one of them is down! We need to get into this building, Hoshi's waiting for us!!"

"AYE!" everyone yelled, before throwing themselves back into the battle with new vigor and strength.

Suddenly, a new voice cut through the fray. "SHIRUBA HEBI!"

In the back of the hall, a bunch of bodies suddenly flew into the air. The Straw Hats grinned.

"HOOOSHIIIIIII!!" Luffy yelled. "WE'RE HERE!! WE CAME TO GET YOU!!"

"AYE!" Hoshi yelled. "EVERYONE! I'M SORRY FOR THE THINGS I SAID BEFORE, I DIDN'T… I DIDN'T MEAN IT!!"

"WE ALREADY KNOW THAT!" Nami yelled. "HURRY UP AND GET OVER HERE SO WE CAN TALK!!"

The next two minutes were a mass of chaos, ending with Hoshi and the Straw Hats almost attacking each other before they realized all the soldiers were gone. They stared at each other for a second, then started laughing.

"But seriously," Hoshi laughed. "I really didn't want to say those th-"

"It's fine Hoshi!" Luffy laughed. "Just forget about it, you did it to save us. No problem!"

Robin looked around. The nine kids were doing their best to hide themselves behind Hoshi, though that was sort of impossible. "Gakushi-san, who are these children?" she asked.

"Experiments," Hoshi replied. She pulled out her wings and wrapped her wings around the kids. "They're just like me." As Hoshi went through introductions, Zoro thought something was wrong… although she seemed happy, there was a faint line between her eyebrows.

Luffy looked the kids over. "Are they like the Lizard-boy?"

She nodded, her face growing serious. "They went through the same things I did… I won't leave them here." Her eyes darkened. "I… I'm going to destroy this place," she growled. "I'm not letting it exist anymore."

Luffy's eyes were hidden under his hat. "Is this what you want?"

Hoshi nodded. "Please get these kids out of here," she said. There was no laughter in her eyes. "Get out of here and hide."

Luffy paused, then slowly nodded. "You can do that," he said.

"Luffy!" Nami yelled. "You can't let her do something like that! Hoshi, how're you going to get out!? Are you planning to kill yourself?!"

Hoshi didn't answer. Zoro narrowed his eyes as alarm hit him.

"Hoshi," Luffy said. "I'm only letting you go on one condition… you have to come back alive."

Hoshi looked up. She paused and looked around at her nakama, all looking at her with concern. Indecision tore her face. "I… I'll do my best," she promised.

Zoro met her eyes. "You'd better not be lying," he told her. "If you are, I'm going to come kill you myself."

That startled a laugh out of her. "Fair enough," she said.

Tori tugged her shirt. "Y… you're going to be alright, right?" she asked, looking into Hoshi's aqua eyes with concern.

All nine kids hugged Hoshi around every part of her they could reach. "Don't go!" they pleaded. "You're the one who saved us, don't leave us!"

Hoshi almost gave in to their pleas, but… "I have to go," she told them with a smile. "I… I have to make sure that they can't make any more of us, can't torture any more of us."

"Hoshi-san…" Panda sobbed.

Oso and Kakyou were trying to be tough, as their predetermined natures were telling them to be, but they couldn't stop their lower lips from trembling.

"Damn!" Oso muttered, biting his lower lip. His pointed teeth caused it to start bleeding.

"Don't do that!" Hoshi chided.

She gently untangled herself from their clutches. She looked around at all of them. "Take care of each other, everyone!" she said cheerfully. "I'll be back!"

And with that, she ran off back into the building.

Zoro watched her go for one second, before he sighed. "Ah dammit," he swore. "Luffy, I'm going to go after her."

Luffy nodded. "Bring her back safely, Zoro."

"Got it!" Zoro yelled, running down the hall.

* * *

Hoshi realized he was following her halfway to her destination. "What the hell are you doing here?!" she yelled. 

"Making sure you don't die," he responded. "It won't be good for you if you do."

"I'm not planning to die," she growled.

"Well I'm just here to make sure you don't," he grinned, catching up with her.

"Get back to the others, right now!" she yelled. "Yo-"

"Well, even if I wanted to, I can't," Zoro said, looking forwards. "I forgot the way back."

Hoshi was stunned for a second (having forgotten his sense of direction), before she contented herself with hitting him on the head. "BAKA-YARO!" she shouted.

"OUCH!" he yelled, clutching his head.

She squeezed her eyes shut for one second to calm herself, before sighing. "Damn," she muttered. Then, she suddenly looked awkward. "Actually… I'm sort of glad you came," she said quietly, looking away.

Zoro stopped pressing the enormous bump that had risen on his head. "What?"

"Ah, nothing!" Hoshi said, sweatdropping. "Nothing."

Zoro side-glanced at her, but didn't press her.

"So what's the plan?" he asked. "I have to say, this doesn't look promising. We're going deeper and deeper underground, and you say you're planning to destroy this place? We'll both be buried by a million tons of stone."

"No… we won't be," Hoshi growled. "Not if I can help it."

"What are you going to do?" Zoro asked. "I'm not going to let you do anything reckless."

"Ha ha," Hoshi said sarcastically. "I've got to warn you, we might face some… unpleasant people."

Zoro grinned. "It won't have been the first time."

"Trust me though, this guy's really bad. You've met him before."

"Who? The one they all call 'boss'?"

"Yeah… he's worse than Corazon was. He acts all happy and nice, but inside, he's a really ruthless man." Hoshi's eyes darkened. "He's-"

"I'm what, 413?"

Hoshi gasped and spun around. "Boss," she growled.

"I heard something very interesting about you to wanting to destroy this place," he smiled. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

"I won't let you stop me," Hoshi growled, hate in her eyes. She turned and ran down a flight of stairs. Zoro scowled at the man before following.

"And where might you be going?" the boss asked.

"I'm going to destroy that treasure hold of notes you all have in the basement," Hoshi growled. "I'm going to watch them go up into flames myself before I destroy this place."

"Well, I'm afraid I can't let you do that either," the boss smiled. "You'll have to stop there."

"I want… I want to see this place go up into flames!" Hoshi growled. "I'm… I'm never ever coming back to this place, or this island. Too much pain here, I'm going to destroy it all!"

"An impressive speech," the boss acknowledged. Hoshi turned her back on him and kept running down the stairs.

A knife sliced off a lock of her hair. She stopped. Zoro growled at the man. _What is with that speed? I didn't even see him move!_

"Do you know why you were created?" the boss asked Hoshi, paying no attention to Zoro.

Hoshi scowled. "I don't give a damn about that. I know that you guys made me, and then abused me with tests till I thought I'd die. That's all I need to know."

"There's a reason why we can't let you go running around with a bunch of bastard pirates," he said calmly. Hoshi's eyes widened with anger. "Would you like to know?"

"CUT THE CRAP!" Hoshi roared. "I already said, I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THAT!" She drew her whip and charged. "GO TO HELL ALREADY!"

The boss stepped lightly to one side, dodging her attack. "Unfortunately, I'm not in the mood to go to hell today."

Hoshi spun and cracked her whip again. "You think I'm giving you a choice?!"

The boss suddenly disappeared. Hoshi blinked. "Wha-"

Suddenly, Hoshi felt all her strength flee her limbs, and she dropped, gasping, to the ground.

"Do not take me lightly," the boss said, seemingly amused. "I'm not like the ignorant opponents you met outside this place. I know your weakness."

Hoshi clawed the silver bracelet wrapped around her wrist, but her fingers were trembling too hard to unclasp it. "D… Damn," she muttered.

The boss laughed. "You cannot hope to stand against me, 413. I was chosen to create you by the World Government for a reason. That reason bei-"

"Hyou Kin Dama!"

The boss barely dodged Zoro's attack, but as it was, a rip appeared on his shirt.

"Hoshi's not alone here," Zoro growled. "You'd better not forget that."

"As expected from Roranora Zoro," the boss smiled. "However, you cannot hope to defeat me. I am, after all, the one who is able to control the World Government's most valuable weapon."

Hoshi's eyes widened.

"I don't give a damn," Zoro said. "Let her go."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. I'm also frankly amazed you consider this," he said, kicking Hoshi, "to be a 'she'. It is a finely tuned weapon, greater even that that of the ancient weapons that could be revived by the Poneglyphs."

Hoshi cried out in pain, but gritted her teeth and glared at the boss. "Why did you make those other kids then?" she demanded.

The boss smiled. "No reason other than to keep the scientists here happy. There was only one purpose for this lab, to create you, but of course, that was classified information. All genetic scientists flocked here to grab at the chance to further their research through the World Government. We needed them to test the extents of your strength."

"You… you made those kids suffer to 'keep the scientists happy'?!?!" Hoshi screamed. "No other reason?!"

"They were but research specimens," the boss said coldly.

Hoshi gritted her teeth. Their eyes… the eyes of those kids… their personalities and voices… put into a small box like that?! With difficulty, she hauled herself to her feet and lunged at him. "BASTARD!!" she screamed. Her eyes suddenly turned a demonic red, her pupils became slits.

"Tut tut," the boss said, stepping to one side. "Drawing on the phoenix's power now, are we? How are you going to kill me? All of that energy is just going into making you able to move at all."

Zoro hit Hoshi with the back of his blade. "Hoshi! Calm down!" he ordered. She fell. Kneeling, he quickly took off the bracelet. "I'll deal with this guy. Hurry and go!"

Hoshi sat up, rubbing her wrist. Her eyes were aqua again. "Bu-"

"No buts! Go do what you came here to do."

Hoshi faltered, then nodded. "I'll leave it to you then," she murmured. Then her face lit up. "But if you die, I'm going to kill you," she teased.

Zoro grinned. "Fair enough."

She ran down the stairs.

"I won't let you," the boss said. He tried to go after her, but Zoro held a blade to his throat.

"Let's let her go," he advised. "It would be good for your health."

"Why are you getting involved?" the boss asked. "It has nothing really to do with you."

Zoro's eyes were shadowed. "'Nothing really', huh?"

_Hoshi, screaming that she hated them all and she never wanted to see them again…_

"Yes, it has nothing to do with you. You're a pirate."

_Trying to push them all away, while she was ripping herself to shreds in the process…_

"You say it is your nakama. Why? It will only betray you once it has what it wants from you. That is the nature of phoenixes."

_Laughing, singing for the crew, pure joy shining on her face..._

"Why would someone like you involve yourself in the affairs of the World Government?"

_Crying in his arms, trying to hold all her pain inside, not wanting anyone else to hurt like she was…_

Zoro glared at the man. "I involve myself… because you made her suffer," he growled, his eyes dark and cold. "I will never forgive you."


	8. Fire and Pain

**Author's Note: YES CHAPTER EIGHT!! XD I hope you all enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: don't own one piece, oda does**

Chapter Eight: Fire and Pain

Hoshi ran. She was tormented with worry… Zoro was strong, but would he be able to keep up with the boss' Devil's Fruit ability? She suddenly got blue lines on her head. She should have told him that before she left…

A picture of a boy, perhaps eight years old, with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes suddenly flashed in her mind. He was smiling at her… Hoshi narrowed her eyes. "489, you liar," she muttered, a tear forming in her eye. "You said you would wait for me… no matter how long it took, you promised you would hang on…"

She turned a corner, and a steel door came into view. Growling, Hoshi concentrated fiercely. Pockets of air around her solidified into razor sharp spikes, and she hurled them at the door. They made dents in the door. Suddenly, there was a rain of spikes flying towards the door, and in no time at all, it folded like tin foil. Hoshi stood there panting. Slowly, she walked towards the gaping black doorway. It reminded her horribly of some sort of mouth, waiting to swallow her up.

* * *

Zoro stumbled back a few steps. He was flummoxed at how unbelievably fast this guy was… it was taking everything he had just to block the attacks.

The boss stopped moving and twirled a small dagger in his hands, a bored look on his face. "I had hoped you would be more of a challenge, but it appears not," he commented. "I suppose the ability of the Senkou Senkou no Mi (Flash Flash Fruit) is quite a handy thing to have, wouldn't you agree?"

Zoro narrowed his eyes. That would explain why this guy was able to move so quickly. "Devil's fruit or no, I'm taking you down," he growled.

The boss chuckled. "I'm afraid not," he murmured, before disappearing again.

Zoro barely blocked a series of attacks from the dagger.

"No more playing," the boss' said from somewhere inside the fray. "I need to get down there before it can destroy all our precious documents."

"Hoshi is not an 'it'," Zoro snarled. He carefully studied the man's movement, looking for some sort of opening…

The boss laughed. "You really are a sentimental man," he chuckled. "How far will that get you in the real world?"

Zoro grinned. "It's already gotten me this far," he said. "And with the crew I've put my bet on, I think we're going to go to the very end together."

"How touching," the boss growled. "Loyalty to captain and crew."

"Yeah… and the person you're aiming for at the bottom of the stairs is part of the crew."

They disengaged. "One thing you should've known before doing anything to her," Zoro growled, raising his swords threateningly. "When you mess with one of us, you can expect the rest of us to hunt you down to the ends of the earth."

"How frightening," the boss droned. "I have the wrath of a few kids on my head."

Zoro grinned wolfishly. "Don't forget one of the rules of life old man." Something his sensei told him once came to mind… "'The new generation will always overpower the old'," he echoed. "'That is the way of life.'"

The boss' eyes narrowed.

"And I say your time to be overpowered is right here," Zoro growled. "Let's hurry and finish this."

"I quite agree," the boss said, bringing up his dagger. "It's true I have been in this position for more than fifty years, but I'm not planning to retire any time soon."

"Looks like you've been working overtime. Time for you to take a break."

* * *

"Come on, we have to get out of here as soon as possible," Nami urged the kids.

"B-but Hoshi-san!" Panda cried. "Hoshi-san is-"

"Going to come back out once she's done," Luffy said firmly. "Let's go."

"No!" Kitsune screamed. "We've got to go get her! She's going to get killed!"

The rest of the kids were struggling.

"AH!" Usopp yelled as Oso bit his hand with his pointed teeth.

"The things guarding the papers about us… they're all the failed experiments!" Uma yelled. "They have no minds, they're just monsters with teeth and claws that can move super fast… and there're a LOT of them!"

"Hoshi-san's your nakama, isn't she?!" Kakyou demanded, his eyes flashing. "We need to go help her!"

Sanji grabbed two kids by the backs of their shirts. "Stop this already! Hoshi's going to be fine, she's got the Marimo with her too."

"But the boss is there too!" Neko growled, swiping his clawed fingers at Nami's hand. "He's a Devil's Fruit user!"

"It's not like both of them haven't fought Devil's Fruits users before!" Luffy yelled.

Raku dodged restraining hands, trying to run down the hall, but Chopper changed to human form and grabbed her tail. "Don't!" he yelled.

Tori fought tooth and nail, pulling out two wings of her own and pummeling everyone who was trying to restrain her. Luckily though, it seemed she didn't know how to fly yet.

Koara screamed as loud as she could… and for a baby, that's pretty loud. "UWAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"

Robin watched with amusement for a couple minutes, before she crossed her arms and sprouted hands to hold them down. "Calm down," she instructed. "You can come out, or you can not come out. It just depends on how much you trust Gakushi-san. If you trust her, you'll come out with us so we won't get crushed under several tons of stone. If you don't trust her, you'll go after her and get crushed under several tons of stone when she destroys this building."

The kids stopped struggling. Indecision shone in their faces as they gritted their teeth.

Finally, Uma hung her head. "Okay then, we'll go with you."

Robin smiled and let her hands disappear. Nami picked up Koara and rocked the wailing baby gently. "Hush, hush, it's okay," she crooned. Gradually, the baby stopped screaming and stared solemnly up into Nami's brown eyes with her beetle-black ones.

"Your friend is outside waiting for us," Luffy said. "The lizard-boy?"

All their eyes lit up. "653? He's here!?" they exclaimed.

Luffy grinned. "He's outside waiting for us, so let's hurry!"

"That reminds me," Kitsune said as they ran off, "We need to ask Hoshi-san to give him a name."

"Huh? Don't you kids already have names?" Usopp asked, confused.

"Hoshi-san gave them to us just now!" Panda sniffed, wiping away the last of his tears. "She said that her captain said it wasn't good to have a number as a name."

Nami narrowed her eyes. "They really are like Hoshi, aren't they?" she murmured.

"Yeah," Sanji agreed. "It's cruel, doing this to children."

"Who's the captain anyways?" Oso asked.

Luffy grinned. "I'm the captain, Luffy! I'm the man who's going to become pirate king!"

All nine kids stared at him, open-jawed. "EEHH?!"

"Oh, he's your captain," Uma acknowledged in an emotionless voice. Then in the exact same tone, "I do believe the world is going to end."

The crew sweatdropped. "That's true…"

"Look, it's the door!" Luffy laughed.

Nami looked, and her jaw dropped to the floor. "WHY THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING AT THE _DOOR_?!" she screamed. Because between them and the door was an army of scientists and Marines.

"W… we're going to die," Usopp sighed. "Ah, it's been such a wonderful life…" Then he spotted the kids looking at him with horrified eyes, and he quickly changed tact. "I was joking, I was joking!"

"Yosh!" Kakyou yelled, punching the air. He bent down and started running on fours. Neko, Raku, Kitsune, and Oso quickly followed suit. "We spent the whole way here being guarded by Hoshi-san, but this time, we're going to fight for our own freedom!" he shouted.

The kids gained speed, faster than even Luffy, and threw themselves into battle, clawing and kicking and punching. Kitsune's eyes glowed yellow, and fangs sprouted out of her gums. Her hair stood on end, and she moved with fluid motion, dodging and attacking with grace and ease. Whoever tried to grab her only ended up brushing her tail. She kicked and bit… preferably aiming for places that hurt.

Neko's hair stood on end, and he hissed. His pupils became slits. With liquid grace, he jumped from shoulder to shoulder, unsheathing his claws, and going for eyes and faces.

Raku's snout elongated, and her nose became black and moist. Her striped tail became more puffy as her hair stood on end. Running into the crowd, her teeth aimed more for ankles, often nipping right down to the bone. She favored Achilles' heels, resulting immobilizing the person.

Tori had pulled in her wings, but she was lashing out with her fits and her feet… especially her feet. Claws had grown out of her feet, and she didn't hesitate to use them on every bit of flesh she could reach.

Kakyou and Oso were a ferocious pair. They would charge at an enemy, their fangs bared, and take him down. Their eyes had no mercy for those who had hurt them. Oso's body bulged with muscle, and he would take down the enemy. Kakyou would spring on top of them and bite them while Oso would proceed to beat up every single part of their bodies he could reach. Then they would move on to the next opponent.

Usopp shivered, watching them. "I… I'm so glad they're on our side…" he mumbled.

"Me too," Nami agreed.

"Did they transform or something?" Sanji asked. "They look different."

Chopper nodded. "I… I think so."

Luffy had stars in his eyes watching them. "THEY'RE SO COOL!" he yelled.

"SHUT UP YOU MORON!" everyone yelled.

"Shouldn't we assist them?" Robin asked.

The crew looked at the group of kids and the steadily falling soldiers. "Should we?" Sanji asked. "They look like they've pretty much got it."

Luffy laughed. "We'll be their backup," he said, stretching his arm backwards.

"Make sure you don't hit any of them," Nami warned.

"Don't worry about it! I won't," Luffy grinned. "GOMU GOMU NO PISTOL!"

* * *

"Damn," Hoshi muttered. Her heart was crying at seeing all these poor creatures. They growled at her, the pain of their malformed bodies making them angry and cruel. They attacked.

Hoshi pulled out her whip. "I'm sorry," she whispered before shouting, "Yami no Kurushimi!"

The whip cracked, and all the poor things fell to the ground, the shock having caused their already strained bodies to shut down completely. Hoshi surveyed them with dull eyes. She had no more tears left today.

Walking into the room, she found herself surrounded by mountains of file cabinets. She methodically started pulling out drawers and dumping them in the center of the room.

"Oi, what the hell are you doing!" came a voice. Hoshi turned. It was the scientist who had asked her about burning down the lab a couple days ago. He seemed shocked to see her. "I… it's you!" he yelled, poining.

"Duh," she droned. "Who else would I be?" She continued piling all the papers in the middle of the room.

"W-what are you doing?! You can't do th-"

Hoshi glared at him, and the sight of her ice-cold eyes made him shut up. "I have no obligation to tell you that," she muttered.

Five minutes later, she was finished. Reaching into her pocket, she took out a box of matches. Before lighting one, she closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment. Then she lit a match and threw it onto the pile…

Where all the papers immediately burst into flame.

The man seemed stunned for a second, before he found his voice. "What the hell did you do!?"

Hoshi sat on the ground and watched the blaze. "I increased the oxygen density of the air surrounding the pile. Oxygen burns, does it not?"

"Yes it doe- I mean, yeah, it does, but why are you doing this?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Hoshi asked as the paper blackened and turned to fine grey ash. "I don't want you guys to be able to do this ever again."

"Do what?"

Hoshi turned and locked his gaze in her ice-cold one. "I don't want you to be able to do any more genetic experiments and to look on them as inferior beings that are only animals. You all don't get that the beings you create are ALIVE. Therefore, you don't deserve to be able to create us anymore."

"Huh? We've always known you were alive!"

"Have you given any one of those kids a toy to play with? A hug, perhaps? Tucked them in at night and let them know they were loved?"

The man fell silent. Hoshi glared even more fiercely at him before turning back to the bonfire. The orange glow reflected in her aqua eyes seemed to bring all her anger and hate to the surface.

As it fell to glowing embers, Hoshi stood up and looked at him. "Well, are you here to fight? Put me back into a cage and run a couple more tests?"

"Actually, I came down here to get a document…" the guy mumbled, not looking at her.

"Right… sorry about that," Hoshi said. She pulled her whip out of the air. "You'd better get out of here, I'm about to destroy this place."

The man looked alarmed. Hoshi chuckled darkly. "Don't worry, you have time. I'm waiting for my friend to get down here. Consider yourself lucky I'm not killing you now."

The man took one look at the blood of the animals lying on the ground and her ruthless eyes, and bolted without another word. Hoshi sighed and sat down, waiting for Zoro. After a couple minutes, the tension started to get to her.

Standing up, she walked to the doorway and drew a deep breath…

* * *

"Hirameiki!"

"Senkou Senkou Shishou!"

Both fighters paused for a moment to catch their breath, and the whirlwind of movement ceased for a moment. The boss grinned. "It seems I have underestimated you, Roranora Zoro."

Zoro scowled. "That's generally not a good idea."

"So I have realized." The boss put away the dagger and walked to a corner of the room. Picking up a black-sheathed sword, he unsheathed it. "It is appropriate to fight named swords with named swords, is it not?" he asked lightly. "Meet Kyuuka Yuki."

Zoro lifted an eyebrow. "Summer Snow? Isn't that a bit contradictory?

"Summer snow is unique," the boss explained. "As this sword is."

Zoro grinned at this. "Well, if you're going to get serious," he said, sheathing his swords. "Guess I'd better too." He tied his black bandana onto his head before pulling out his swords again.

"Does that bandana make you stronger?" the boss asked, a mocking grin coming onto his face.

Zoro scowled. "Who knows," he replied.

"ZORO!" came a voice from up the stairwell. "HURRY UP AND GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE! I CAN'T START DESTROYING ANYTHING IF YOU'RE STILL UP THERE!!"

Zoro sweatdropped. _Does she have any idea what's going on up there?_

The boss smiled. "Time to end this."

Zoro took his stance. "I agree."

They rushed towards each other.

"SENKOU SENKOU DAGEKI!"

"TOUROU HAGASHI!"

* * *

Hoshi heard the clash of metal and stiffened. She clenched her fists and waited, a sweat bead rolling down her cheek. _Zoro… you'd better be okay_, she thought viciously as a slight breeze came down the stairs.

"Dear me, look at what you've done to our documents," said a voice behind her.

Hoshi froze, then slowly turned around. Standing behind her, she saw… the boss.

Her eyes widened. "It… it can't be," she whispered, her throat closing with horror.

He smiled. "Your friend put up a good fight, I'll give him that much. He was a worthy opponent to give me this," he said, pointing to a cut on his cheek. He held out a hand. "Now we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way. Your choice."

Hoshi fell to her knees and retched. _Zoro…_

"_Don't carry this by yourself when you don't need to."_

_"Who the hell told you that you were replaceable?!"_

_"You really are an idiot."_

Hoshi looked at the boss again. There was blood on his hands…

She bent over and clutched her stomach, trying to suppress the newly awakened pain and stop the tears from coming out of her eyes. This pain was like a spiked knife being dragged through her gut… she bit her lip until it bled. The boss laughed, and each soundwave was like another spike being stabbed into her body. She couldn't stop the tears anymore. They fell to the ground, making little dark circles on the concrete.

It couldn't be… it just couldn't be…

_Zoro…_


	9. A Scary Old Woman

**Author's Note: Ah… trying to squeeze this into my vacation time with my mom like a hawk watching my every move is sort of hard… she doesn't even know I'm writing this, and probably would really hate me if she did XP**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece**

Chapter Nine: A Scary Old Woman

Hoshi bent down in despair. Zoro was… Zoro was…

The boss laughed. "Did you care about him?" he asked mockingly. "You shouldn't have bothered. He probably only thought of you as the monster that you are, a poor little pet."

Hoshi's eyes were shadowed. _No… you're wrong…you're wrong…_

He held out his hand. In it was a silver bracelet. "Come now, make this easy."

Hoshi looked up at him will dull eyes. Slowly, she started to extend her hand…

"That's it," the boss coaxed. "Nice and easy…"

_**IDIOT!**_

Hoshi snapped her hand back and clutched her head from the force of the scream. _Who…?_

Her form started changing. Two red eyes glowed from underneath her hair. A long pointed beak started forming out of her face, and red plumage started growing all over her body. Her arms elongated and spread, becoming two wings.

When all was said and done, a large bird sat in the middle of the room: a fully-grown phoenix. Wind swirled around the room, blowing the grey ashes up into the air and sent them circling the room, making the boss cough as some sped down his throat. Suddenly, he felt an enormous pressure squeezing him from all sides. The phoenix just glared disdainfully at him from the center of the room as he choked, trying to get air into his compressed lungs.

_**Really, you should know better than to just give up like that Hoshi. Your capture means mine, and I for one have no intent to go back into a cage.**_ The voice, somehow female, reverberated through the room like a choir all on its own. It brimmed with hidden power, completely alien. It narrowed its eyes at the boss. _**If I come out, whoever she's fighting has absolutely no chance of victory, Devil's Fruit or no.**_

His eyes bulged. Realization hit him. _This… has all been a mistake. We never should have made this in the first place. We cannot use this as a weapon… because we would never be able to control it…_

A little tongue of air plucked open his pocket, and drew out the crystal: Hoshi's crystal. It floated through the air and settled around the phoenix's neck. _**I'll take this back**_, it stated calmly. _**You didn't keep the terms of the agreement. I know all about that… I was listening.**_

"W… what are you…?" the man choked.

The phoenix considered this question seriously. Finally, it spoke, just as his vision started to disappear.

_**I am many different things to many different people. However, I will say to you that I am bound to this human body through your doing, so you could call us a monster. Though I resented you at first, I must thank you for that… the people that my human host has joined up with are quite an interesting bunch. My life has purpose once again, to protect their happiness.**_

"T-their… happiness?"

_**The happiness of my human host and her chosen nakama. That is the calling of phoenixes, to act as guardians, but for what is the choice of the individual. **_It narrowed its eyes at him. _**You must pay for what you have done.**_

The boss gasped as the pressure increased, cracking some of his ribs. He gasped and died.

With a small sigh, the phoenix shape-shifted back and gave Hoshi back. She blinked. _Who are you?_ she asked silently. _I saw the whole thing…_

_**I am Aurema**_ answered the previously unknown presence in her mind. _**Do not call me out too often. The body we share cannot handle the required shape-shift very many times.**_

_Okay… so are you now like the little voice inside my head?_

That startled a small chuckle out of the phoenix. _**I suppose so. Do not worry, I will be asleep most of the time.**_

_Why?_

_**You are the primary spirit. This is your body, your mind. I sleep until you arouse me in some way.**_ Hoshi could feel the phoenix settle down, ruffling its feathers contentedly. _**You are lucky in your choice of friends… they are quite interesting, are they not?**_

Hoshi chuckled. _I suppose so… I've, I mean, we've had some pretty tough times before._

The phoenix didn't answer, but Hoshi sensed a dim acknowledgment before its presence faded.

Hoshi looked at the body of the man who had caused so much pain in her life and shivered. She clutched the crystal around her neck and closed her eyes, falling to her knees. This guy had done so much, but before he died, he had done the thing that had caused the most pain of all…

The spiked knife ran through her gut again. She doubled over and clutched her stomach, but no tears fell. She bit her lip, trying not to scream with her pain. Zoro was… Zoro was…

"Hoshi!"

Her eyes snapped open. Barely daring to believe it, she turned…

And saw Zoro running down the stairs. He looked worse for the wear with a gash across his chest, but he was _alive._

"Hoshi, you alright?!" was the first thing he asked. Kneeling down next to her he took her shoulders in his hands and shook her gently. "Are you injured?"

Hoshi swallowed hard and forced her throat to speak. "Zoro…" she managed, before her throat closed up.

"You okay?" Zoro asked, concerned. "Dammit woman, answer me!"

Suddenly, she found her voice… and her strength again. She raised a fist and punched him in the face. "Zoro you IDIOT!" she screamed, before she put both hands over her face.

"OUCH!" Zoro fell backwards. He sat up, rubbing his head. "What the hell was that f-" He stopped. Tears were running through Hoshi's fingers and down her arms. "O-oi, what's wrong?"

"You have the guts to make me believe that you DIED, and you're sitting here… asking me what's wrong?!" Hoshi tried to scream. It came out as a strangled whisper.

Zoro stared in astonishment. Suddenly, he went and hit her on the head. "Who's the idiot?!" he asked her. "Believing what a cheating enemy told you? He slashed me then flashed down here while I wasn't looking."

"D… don't you dare do that to me again," she chided, lifting her face out of her hands and giving him a watery smile. "If you do, I swear I'm going to kill you."

"Fair enough. So are you going to do what you came here for?" he asked with a grin.

"What about your wound?"

"It's nothing." Zoro thought grimly of the cut Mihawk had given him a while ago. "I've had worse."

Hoshi wiped away the last of her tears and smiled at him. "I bet. Get down," she warned, pulling out her whip.

Zoro quickly lay as flat as he could. She closed her eyes and concentrated, before spinning in two quick circles. Parallel cracks appeared in the surrounding walls at an angle. Walking over to the wall, Hoshi kicked a section of the rock between the two walls to pieces. A spiderweb of cracks started forming between the two cuts in the stone on the surrounding walls.

As the rock started to crumble, Zoro grinned. "I get it, that's what you were doing."

Hoshi looked grim. "There's no way this place can remain standing now, with the foundation damaged like this. It's going to come crashing down." Suddenly, she ran over to him and yanked him to his feet. "Stay close," she told him as chunks of rock started falling from the ceiling. She closed her eyes, and the rocks fell against the invisible barrier of unmoving air that surrounded them.

* * *

"Yes!" Kakyou crowed, doing some cartwheels. "We're out!"

"We're free!" Uma, Raku, and Kitsune sang, dancing together in a circle.

Oso looked stunned for a second, before he roared and waved his arms around crazily with excitement, thumping Neko on the back. Neko winced, but he put up with it. It was a special occasion, after all.

Panda slumped onto the ground, panting heavily, but grinning from ear to ear. "Ah… real grass feels so nice…"

"No more cages!!" Tori sang, waving her arms around crazily and spinning in circles. "The sky and stars forever!"

Koara laughed, her sweet baby voice ringing out.

"You guys!" Everyone turned, then the kids screamed.

"653! You're okay!"

The lizard-boy leaped out of the forest and grinned. "What the hell are you talking about?! I was so worried about YOU all being okay!" he laughed, a couple tears forming in his eyes. The others swarmed him. All the girls gave him a kiss on the cheek, Oso gave him a bear hug (ha ha), Kakyou whacked him on the back so hard he choked.

Sanji took a drag on his cigarette and grinned. "Those kids look pretty happy to be out of there."

Nami nodded, tapping Koara's nose playfully. "It must've been terrible," she murmured as the baby cooed and grabbed her finger.

Usopp grinned. "Is it possible for kids to get any happier than this?"

"I, for one, doubt that, Nagahana-kun," Robin smiled.

Sakura held Robin's hand, watching the scene a little awkwardly. "Neh, Robin-san, why are they so happy?" she asked.

"They've been through some hard times," Robin explained. "And even though their hard times probably aren't over yet, things just got much better for them."

Sakura shivered. Suddenly Kitsune took Sakura's hands and laughed. "Come on!" she laughed. "What are you doing, just standin' there?!"

"Ah, hold on one second-" Sakura tried to say, but Kitsune laughed and pulled her into the circle with Uma and Raku. Sakura looked stunned as they took her hands and danced with her, but then she laughed and danced with them.

Suddenly, Oso looked back at the building. "What about those two?" he asked.

Luffy grinned. "Don't worry about them! They'll be alright!"

Of course, he had to say this just as the building started crumbling.

"OI! Everyone get into the forest, right now!" Sanji roared. "It's dangerous out here!"

Luffy stretched his arms and grabbed all the kids. "ESCAPE!!" he yelled, laughing.

"Hoshi-san!" the kids screamed as they were thrown into the forest.

Sanji kicked a stone falling towards the group into pieces. "Hurry, the rest of you!"

Robin, Usopp, Chopper, and Nami ran, following Luffy into the forest.

The noise of cracking and crashing stone was terrific, and as the group peeked through the branches, the building fell… and became nothing but a pile of rocks and pebbles. There was absolutely no movement.

The kids looked horrified.

The Straw Hats sweatdropped slightly. "Are those two… really okay?" Nami asked after a couple minutes had passed.

No one really wanted to answer that.

Suddenly, a wave of energy spun through the air, breaking a circle of stone. "TATSUMAKI!"

Then, a white blur came out of the hole and shot into the sky before slowing down and hovering. Wings churning, Hoshi slowly lowered Zoro onto the ground before pulling in her wings and landing.

An explosion of screams hit the pair, then suddenly Hoshi found herself being swarmed by eight crying kids. She fell over with a grunt as they basically smothered her with hugs. All of them were screaming different things at the same time, to a point that it was impossible to tell who was saying what, or even what was being said at all.

Hoshi laughed and peeled them off her. "One at a time," she grinned.

"Will you teach me how to fly?" Tori asked instantly.

Hoshi blinked in surprise, then thought about it. "We'll see. I can't promise anything," she said, glancing at Luffy.

He grinned. "Welcome back, both of you!" he called, waving.

"You have to give 653 a name!" Kakyou demanded. "He was out when you gave the rest of us names."

Hoshi looked at 653. "Hello! You were bonded with a lizard?" she asked after taking one look at him.

653 nodded shyly. Hoshi smiled. "You'll be Tokage. Sounds good?"

The newly-named Tokage looked ecstatic. He whooped and hugged all his friends. "Hear that? I have a name now! A name!!"

"That's great 65- I mean, Tokage!" Sakura laughed.

"Let's get going," Nami added after giving the kids a couple more minutes to celebrate. "We should get back to the tea-obassan's place."

"Is she really going to welcome ten kids though?" Usopp asked.

Tokage overheard, and he grinned. "Of course! Remember, she said so!"

Hoshi suddenly looked suspicious. "What tea-obassan?"

Nami smiled. "She lives on the edge of town in a shabby little shop. There are times where she'll just say weird stuff that doesn't make any sense, but she's got a good hea- what's wrong?"

Hoshi had blue lines on her face. "T-that old hag's still alive?!" she asked, her eyebrow twitching.

Chopper looked up at her in concern. "Is she a bad person?"

Hoshi's eyebrow started twitching. "She's not a bad person… but she's really, really scary…"

Nami raised an eyebrow. "You sure?'

Hoshi stared at the sky. "Do we really have to go there?"

Luffy nodded.

Hoshi sighed and continued to stare at the sky. "It's been such a short life…"

"WHAT?"

* * *

The old woman cracked open one eye when she heard a parade of footsteps coming up to her door. It opened.

"Tea-obassan, we're back!" Luffy called.

"So I see. 'To imagine the unimaginable is the highest form of imagination.' And I imagine that your numbers have increased somewhat since you last came."

Luffy nodded and pulled Hoshi to the front. "Er… I have no idea what you just said, but this is Hoshi, the nakama we told you about last time."

Hoshi was sweating, but she put a shaky smile on her face and raised a hand. "Yo."

The old woman smiled warmly and raised a hand in return. "Yo."

"And these kids are Kitsune, Uma, Kakyou, Oso, Neko, Koara, Panda, Tori, and Tokage. You met Tokage before, except he was 653 then!" Luffy announced.

"Remember me?" Tokage asked.

The woman smiled and nodded. "I see you've brought your friends with you."

He smiled. "Just like you said I could!"

"Well," she sighed, heaving herself to her feet, "We're going to have a splendid time now, aren't we?'

There was a moment of frozen silence… Hoshi tried to inch away, but suddenly the old woman moved faster than anyone could see and grabbed her wrist. "YOU DAMN BRAT!" she roared, throwing Hoshi into the wall.

Everyone gaped in astonishment.

"YOU! I've heard things about you over the past eight years!" she yelled.

"Hoshi, you know this person?" Luffy asked.

Hoshi picked herself off the floor and rubbed her head gingerly. Pulling herself into a small ball, she cracked open one eye. "S-sensei…"

Everyone gaped. "SENSEI?!?"

The old woman glared at her. "Going against everything I've ever taught you… getting yourself a bounty among other things… just WHAT do you have to say for yourself?!"

"Ah… that was-"

"DON'T SAY ANYTHING!!" the woman roared. She picked up Hoshi by the ankle and threw the poor girl out the door and into the group. There was plenty of shouting and yelling. "No excuses! You must face your punishment with silence!"

Everyone had blue lines on their forehead as they watched the old woman throw Hoshi around the room.

"I… is Hoshi really going to be okay?" Sakura whispered to Robin.

Robin smiled. "I would believe so," she said, just as Hoshi went flying through the wall with a crash of splintering wood.


	10. Trust

**Author's Note: Getting close to the end now! It's been a pretty fun ride, wouldn't you say? XD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece**

Chapter Ten: Trust

The kids all huddled behind the Straw Hats, terrified looks on their faces.

"Neh, Tokage, is this really the nice lady you were talking about?" Tori asked uncertainly.

Tokage looked stunned. "I think it might be her evil twin sister or something…"

After a few minutes, the old lady stopped throwing Hoshi around the room. There was a moment of silence, before she suddenly started cackling. "You haven't changed one bit, you brat!"

Hoshi stood up gingerly. "It's good to see you're doing well Sensei."

"This old lady's your sensei?!" Luffy asked.

Hoshi grinned. "After I escaped, she hid me and taught me how to use my whip. She also taught me hand-to-hand combat."

"Among other things that you failed to remember," the old woman growled, punching Hoshi on the head again before walking over to the counter. "Sit down you all, I'll make some tea."

The Straw Hats walked in a little cautiously.

"Is it really safe?" Usopp whispered.

"I think so…" Nami replied uncertainly, still holding Koara.

"That reminds me of when she hit us all with her cane," Chopper shivered.

The kids just huddled at the doorway, refusing to move.

The old woman glanced at them and sighed. She picked up a plate heaped with little cakes and carried it to the door. "I won't bite you all you know," she said gently. "Have a cake."

Tokage was the first one to reach out for a cake. The others watched him eat it, wondering if it was poisoned or not… but when he didn't fall down dead, they overcame their fear and helped themselves. The old woman smiled. "That's more like it," she chuckled. "Come in now!"

Hoshi politely took a sip of tea before asking something that had been on her mind for a while. "Neh, Sensei, won't the island get into trouble for destroying a World Government base?"

"Firstly," the woman said, pulling out some more cakes from a cabinet, "the lab was put here without the knowledge of the people, so it technically never existed. Secondly, if they do come out after us, we'll just blame it on you all. You guys are pirates, after all."

"That's true!" Luffy laughed, holding his sides while everyone else got blue lines on their heads.

"In any case, we'll be okay, so no need to worry" the old woman laughed, setting the cakes in front of the kids.

Hoshi still looked unconvinced.

"She's right you know," Robin added. "There is no logical reason for the World Government to attack the people of this island."

Looking at Robin, Hoshi remembered that this statement was coming from a woman who had been wanted by the World Government for more than twenty years and was still alive. She smiled and relaxed.

"Got any sake?" Zoro asked.

The old woman snorted. "Baka. This is a tea shop, not a bar."

Zoro rolled his eyes. She hit him with her cane. "Insolent brat," she muttered. "Young folks have no respect for their elders these days."

Luffy gulped down his tea then jumped into a standing position. "Tea-obassan, thanks for everything!"

"What, you're leaving?" the old woman asked.

He nodded. "We've gotten everything back, so no reason to stay here any longer!"

Nami hit her captain on the head. "Except for the small, but important fact that the Log won't set until tomorrow morning," she told him. "Idiot."

Luffy clutched his head. "Oww…."

Nami bent down. "Do you kids want to stay here with Tea-obassan, or do you want to sail with us for a while?"

The kids looked startled. "What?"

"Come live with me!" Sakura suddenly piped up. "Mom wouldn't mind, she'd love you all!"

"Tori, you done with those cakes?" Hoshi asked, drawing the kids away from the hard decision they had to make for the moment. "We can go out now and I'll teach you how to fly if you want."

Tori looked up, her eyes shining. "Really?"

"BRAT!" the old woman roared, bringing her cane down onto Hoshi's head with tremendous force. "Don't think you're going to get out of your punishment!" She grabbed Hoshi's ear and started dragging her into the back room. "There's more tea and cakes in the cabinet for the rest of you when you finish."

The door slammed.

Everyone looked at the door with an impending sense of doom… and sure enough, there were crashes and bangs and yells.

The Straw Hats sweatdropped.

"Are you sure… Hoshi's going to be okay?" Usopp asked uncertainly.

"Who knows…" the others replied.

However, the conversation that followed was heard by everyone present…

* * *

The old woman surveyed the huddled figure in the corner. "Jeez, you really are an idiot," she murmured. "All those things I taught you about staying alive… and you went ahead and broke almost every single one of them."

Hoshi didn't move.

"I told you, stay low and quiet. Make a life for yourself somewhere and don't fly or do anything that will make you stand out. You went ahead and got yourself a wanted poster four years after you left. What the hell did you do?"

"They found me and tried to put silver on me," Hoshi muttered to a floorboard. "I panicked."

"And that resulted in every person on the damn planet knowing your face and what you look like, so you can't get a quiet life for yourself anymore. Next, I told you to never, ever, emotionally attach yourself to people. Don't trust anyone with your secret. And see what you decided to do… every single town you went to, you tried to find a nakama you could trust. How did that end up for you?! Every single one of them either betrayed you or abandoned you, I'll bet."

Hoshi didn't answer.

"It wasn't just for your sake, but theirs too. They have nothing to do with your troubles, they shouldn't have to face the World Government just because of you."

Hoshi shivered. "But… but these guys are different…" she whispered.

_"Kampai for our new nakama, Hoshi!!"_

"They… they won't…"

_"OI! WORLD GOVERNMENT SCUM!! JUST TRY TO PUT HOSHI INTO A CAGE AGAIN AND I'LL KICK ALL YOUR ASSES YOU LOUSY BASTARDS!! BRING IT ON!!!"_

"They really are my nakama…"

_"HOOOSHIIIIIII!! WE CAME TO GET YOU!"_

"They're not going to hurt me like that," Hoshi stood up. "I don't care what you said before, Sensei, I'm putting my faith in these guys."

"Have you lost your mind!? Eventually, they'll look on you as a burden and throw you away! If you have any sanity left, leave them behind yourself before they leave YOU behind!"

"They won't do that," Hoshi said fiercely. "They hold each other together and look out for each other. And now I'm a part of that."

"Are you insane!? They may feel that way now, but sooner or later they'll betr-"

"YES! I am insane, I know it!" Hoshi suddenly yelled. "But I want to be on thei- I mean, our ship. I want to sail and have adventures with them on the Grand Line, and I'll destroy anyone who threatens that happiness that we can all share together from doing that! They're my damn FAMILY. Maybe they're a dysfunctional and crazy family, but it's a family that's accepted me, and no matter what you say, I can't just throw away a chance like this!"

The old woman seemed at loss for words. Her throat worked furiously, but nothing came out except a couple squeaks. She met Hoshi's determined eyes… then sighed. "It's your life," she muttered, turning her back and walking out of the room.

Everyone looked at the old woman as she came back into the shop. She closed the door and sighed sadly. "You all have gotten yourselves a good nakama," she informed the Straw Hats. "She's made up her mind to sail with you, and nothing I say is going to change her mind." Narrowing her eyes, she warned, "If you ever betray her trust, any of you… you're going to have me to deal with, understand? I'll hunt you down to the ends of the earth!"

"Y-yes ma'am!" Nami, Usopp, and Chopper all replied at once, fear on their faces.

Robin and Zoro grinned.

Luffy laughed. "Don't worry! I'm the man who's going to become pirate king, and I'm not letting any of my nakama float away!"

The old woman looked surprised, then she shook her head. "What an idiotic dream," she murmured.

"But it's true!" Luffy insisted.

She smiled. "Somehow, I don't doubt it…"

Hoshi came out of the room. She walked past the old woman and took Tori's hand. "C'mon, I'll teach you how to fly now," she smiled.

Tori's eyes lit up.

"Can we watch?" Kakyou asked.

"Of course!" Hoshi smiled. "Do you all want to come?" she asked the Straw Hats.

"Okay!" Nami smiled.

Chopper, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, and Luffy all followed the kids out the door, talking and laughing.

"Sanji, did we get lots of meat in our stock? We're leaving in the morning, so-"

Sanji lit his cigarette and waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "Don't worry about it."

Luffy whooped and jumped several feet into the air. "WAHOO! MEAT!!"

Kakyou and Oso jumped on Luffy's shoulders and they paraded down the street singing, "Meat, meat, meat, meat!!"

Oso suddenly caught sight of Chopper. "FOOD!" he roared. Kakyou followed with a growl of agreement. Chopper turned blue for a second, then started running as fast as he could on his little legs. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" he screamed.

Zoro grabbed the cuffs of their shirts. "Oi, Chopper isn't food," he informed them.

They struggled. "But he's a deer!" Oso protested.

"I'M A REINDEER!!" Chopper roared.

Kakyou stuck out his tongue. "Same thing!"

"Don't eat him, he's so cute!" Uma and Kitsuna screamed, throwing themselves on him. "Choppy-kun, don't worry! We won't let them eat you!"

Chopper started suffocating. "N… need a-air…"

"DON'T KILL HIM!" Raku screamed, peeling them off him.

Robin chuckled. Koara gurgled in her arms and laughed.

"Don't mind them," Neko informed the crew. "They're always like this."

"Really?" Panda asked.

Neko sweatdropped.

Hoshi was showing Tori how to catch the wind in her wings to lift herself off the ground, explaining the different ways to lift off. They went into the air, Hoshi holding Tori's hands and instructing how to stay in the air.

Zoro watched them with a smile on his face… or at least, he was until the old woman's cane smashed into his head. "OW! What the hell was that for, you damn babba!"

"How rude," the old woman cackled. She squinted at him. "You'd better take good care of Hoshi," she told him seriously.

"The hell…? We're all going to take care of he-"

"I'm not talking about all of them, I'm talking about YOU."

"…"

"I'm getting old, but I'm not THAT blind yet kid. I saw the way you were watching Hoshi, and I'm telling you now, you'd better take care of her."

Zoro tried to keep the heat from rising in his face. "What the hell are you talking ab-"

The woman groaned. "Please don't tell me I'm going to be entrusting my girl to an idiot."

Nami popped out of nowhere. She slung an arm around Zoro's shoulders and sighed. "Unfortunately, I think you are."

"What the hell are you both talking about?!"

They both smirked at him. "Zoro, we know that you l-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Tori fell out of the sky and onto Zoro's head. "AH! Sorry, sorry!" she hurriedly apologized.

Hoshi touched down next to them, laughing. "That was actually pretty good! Was that your first time in the air?"

Tori nodded sheepishly. "I've never been allowed to fly before."

"Well, I wasn't able stay that long in the air my first time," Hoshi chuckled. "Here, I'll give you a boost."

Tori laughed as Hoshi picked her up underneath her shoulders and threw her into the air. "Remember what I told you about finding a good slipstream!!" Hoshi called.

"Haaaaaai!" Tori yelled.

Hoshi turned to the trio. "Sorry about that!" she grinned. "Never had to teach anyone to fly before."

The old woman tapped her cane on Hoshi's head. "Watch where she lands next time."

"Hai sensei," Hoshi chuckled. Then with a huge leap, she was airborne again, just as Tori dipped down suddenly. "Careful! Stay with the current!"

They watched the two fly off.

"ANYWAYS," the old woman suddenly said, "Back to what I was saying earlier, you need to take good care of that girl. She's a special one, that she is."

"We'll all take care of her," Zoro growled.

"I'm not talking about you all, I'm talking about YOU."

Zoro flushed, but he finally let it go. He could see this wasn't going to go anywhere different. "… okay."

The old woman smiled and patted his shoulder. "Good. Maybe you're not as stupid as I thought you were."

Nami grinned evilly. "Wanna bet on that?" she asked.

The tea-lady groaned. "I don't think I do… I regret saying that."

Zoro stalked off without another word.

The two ladies watched him leave. "He's a good one," the old lady approved. "Bit thickheaded for my taste though."

Nami laughed. "Isn't that the truth!" she grinned.

"FOOOOOOOD!" Oso and Kakyou roared. The two women turned and barely got out of the way in time for a crying Chopper to run past, being closely followed by two boys with sharp teeth.


	11. Information

**Author's Note: Hey all, it's been a fun ride! But I've only got one more chapter left!!! ...unless you want me to write an extra one with complete ZoroxHoshi XD AND YES I SMELL SEQUEL**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece**

Chapter Eleven: Information

For the first time in a long time, Hoshi slept peacefully, without any dreams. When she woke up, everyone was strewn around the room, covering every single inch of possible sleeping space. She smiled and carefully stepped around them. Quietly, she stepped around them and slipped out the door for a breath of fresh air.

Tori had made amazing progress the previous night. She had learned how to take off and stay for as long as she wanted in the air. The girl had almost smashed her kneecaps though, trying to learn how to land. But she had even learned how to hover…

Lost in her thoughts in ways of trying to teach Tori how to land properly, Hoshi sat in a chair under the patio, leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She visualized different ways of teaching Tori to land…

Which explained why she nearly screamed in surprise when someone touched her shoulder unexpectedly.

"Ah, Zoro! Don't scare me like that!" she chuckled.

Zoro looked slightly sheepish. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I just heard you go out and wanted to make sure you were okay."

Hoshi grinned. "I'm completely fine… better than I've been in years, actually," she sighed. "Sorry, did I wake you up? I tried to be quiet." Unconsciously, she rubbed her shoulder.

"I was waking up anyways. Are you going to do anything about that?" Zoro asked, meaning her tattoo.

Hoshi sighed again. "You saw it, didn't you? The number…"

Zoro nodded.

Hoshi looked out onto the street, not really seeing it. "Maybe Nami can help me," she mused. "She has a tattoo, doesn't she? A pinwheel with a tangerine on the top. Maybe she would know how to get one off."

Zoro winced. "She'd probably charge you. She's a devil when it comes to money."

That startled a laugh out of Hoshi. "You're right…"

"We'll find a tattoo artist in town. Do you want to go now?"

Hoshi looked surprised. "Now? But they would all still probably be asleep, wouldn't they? It's still pretty early."

"But we're leaving soon," Zoro pointed out. "How soon do you want it off?"

Hoshi stared out into the street again. "I guess I can wait 'till the next island. That's Sakura's home, which means there must be a town."

Zoro frowned. "Speaking of Sakura's home, are we taking all ten of those kids with us?"

Hoshi sighed. "Well, if they want to go, they have no other way but us," she said. "I bet Sensei would take them if they wanted to stay here though. She's a sucker for kids."

"Reminds me of someone I know," Zoro said innocently, looking pointedly at Hoshi.

Hoshi flushed and looked away. "That time with Sakura was instinctive," she muttered unconvincingly.

"Right."

"Well, it's all up to what they decide," Hoshi smiled, changing the subject. "They have the right to make their own choices now."

"What do you think they should do?" Zoro asked.

"Me? I don't really know… The safest thing for them to do would be to stay here, but if it was me, I wouldn't be able to do that. If they went with Sakura, they would get to be around kids their own age and have a good home to grow up in, but that might emphasize to them the fact that they are… not normal. So I don't know," she said factually. "It's their decision."

Zoro grinned. "I suppose you're right."

There was a comfortable silence as the pair watched the sun rise up further over the building tops.

Zoro cleared his throat. "Hoshi… there's been something I wanted to ask you."

She looked at him. "Yeah?"

"Why did you decide to go through that all by yourself? We're your nakama, and you should know that we would have helped you in any way we could."

Hoshi was silent for a while. Zoro was beginning to wonder if she had heard his question at all when she spoke up. "I guess I still wasn't used to having nakama like you all… I'm so used to fighting on my own. Also, I didn't want you all to get involved, because I thought that would mean the end of all your dreams, that you all would die. I didn't want to see that, because you guys treasure your dreams and each other more than anything else in the world." She smiled. "There're not that many people like you guys."

Zoro chuckled. "Isn't that the truth? How many guys like Luffy do you meet every day?" He had no idea how to say what he wanted next, but it came out like this: "I promise, you'll never suffer like that by yourself again. I'll always be nearby to help."

Hoshi stared at him for a moment in amazement. "Thanks," she whispered.

Another comfortable silence settled. Hoshi suddenly stood and stretched. "Guess I should go find a tattoo artist!" she said. "I don't want to stay with this mark longer than I have to." She wisely decided not to tell Zoro that last time she had wanted the tattoo off when she was about eight, she had used a scalpel she had stolen from the lab while escaping and tried to dig it out of her shoulder.

Zoro grinned. "Want any help?"

"Nah, I'll be fine," Hoshi smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder. "You worry too much."

"Baka, I just felt like taking a walk around town," he retorted, wrapping an arm warmly around her shoulders.

"With _your_ directional senses?"

"Shut up."

Hoshi chuckled and closed her eyes, relaxing in his hold.

Of course, Sanji choose this moment to walk out. "G'morning," he said sleepily, rubbing his eye. Then he caught sight of Zoro and Hoshi.

There was a moment of frozen silence as Zoro and Hoshi sweatdropped. _Oh shit…_

"DAMN MARIMO!!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO HOSHI-CHAN!?! GET AWAY FROM HER RIGHT NOW!!" Sanji roared, kicking Zoro in the head. Zoro yelled and fell into the street.

"O-oi, calm down San-"

"Did he do anything to you Hoshi-chan?! A moron like him making a move on a radiant flower of beauty like you… such a thought breaks my heart to no end!" Sanji gushed, kneeling and taking Hoshi's hand.

"N-no Sanji…" Hoshi sweatdropped. "He wasn't doing anyth-"

Sanji stood and put an arm around Hoshi's shoulders. "Don't worry my lovely moonbeam! I won't let him touch you again!"

"Sanji…"

"OI!! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR, YOU ERO-COOK?!" Zoro bellowed, standing and clutching a ginormous bump that had risen on his head.

"FOR MOVING IN ON HOSHI-CHAN, YOU DAMN MOSS-HEAD! COME NEAR HOSHI-CHAN AGAIN AND I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!"

"WHY DON'T **YOU** GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER, DARTBOARD?!"

"WHAT WAS THAT?!?!"

"Zoro… Sanji… you're going to wake up the whole town…"

"YA WANNA FIGHT?!"

"BRING IT ON!!"

Hoshi sweatdropped as the two of them went at it. "Um…"

Nami barged out the door, hitting Hoshi on the head. "You both are so damn LOUD in the morning!!!" she roared. Then she actually opened her eyes and saw who she had hit. "Ah!! Sorry Hoshi!!"

"I… it's fine…" Hoshi groaned, clutching her head. Both girls watched Sanji and Zoro disappear into a dustcloud, sweatdropping slightly.

"So… you want to know about tattoos?" Nami asked.

"Yeah," Hoshi nodded. "I wa- hang on a second… were you eavesdropping on the convers-"

"Ahahaha…" Nami chuckled nervously. She grabbed Hoshi's arm and started dragging her off. "I saw a shop yesterday while we were walking around town. It's pretty good, and not too expensive."

"B-but I don't have any money!"

Nami grinned evilly. "Don't worry, I'll lend you some. I'll be expecting 500 percent interest when you pay it back however."

Hoshi went limp like a rag doll as Nami pulled her down the street.

* * *

"So what are we going to do?" Kakyou asked the gang. They all sat on the porch, wondering what they were going to do, a few hours after Nami and Hoshi had left the shop. 

"We have to stay together," Panda said immediately.

Uma brought her foot down onto the chubby (fat) boy's head. "Baka. That's definite."

As Panda rubbed his head, Tori rocked back and forth, holding Koara. "So are we going to stay here, or go with Sakura and those crazy people?"

There was a long silence as they pondered the question. They were very well aware that they would only be able to make this choice only one time, and once they did, there would be no turning back.

"Let's go with Sakura," Raku and Kitsune suddenly said simultaneously. They looked at each other and grinned.

"I want to go too," Tori spoke up. "Sakura said her mother would welcome all of us, did she? Who knows mothers better than their kids?"

Neko stretched, but didn't say anything. An approving nod was all he gave.

Oso grinned. "I was thinking that too. If she ran away from home, something is wrong. We could help!"

There were nods and murmurs of agreement.

Tokage frowned. "But why did she run away from home to begin with?" he asked. "We shouldn't go until we know. Otherwise, we could regret going."

"I agree," Kakyou said, narrowing his eyes. "We could be caught up in the same problem if we go with them. And what do people like us actually know about mothers anyways?"

"Is that what you all think?"

Ten heads turned to see Sakura standing in the doorway, a hurt look on her face. "I didn't run away from home because my mom was bad or anything," she mumbled, looking at the floor. "It was my dad. He likes getting drunk a lot, and when he does, he gets really mean and hurts mom and me. I ran away, but I left her behind. I want to go back because I don't want her to suffer by herself." Sakura turned away from them. "I'm sorry, I should have told you all that before."

There was a silence as the kids digested this. Kakyou stood. "Well that settles it I guess," he grinned. "Everyone! Let's go with Sakura!!"

Everyone cheered. Even Koara laughed, her grey hair shining and her small hands waving.

An unbelieving smile almost split Sakura's face in two. "Mom'll be so happy!!" she laughed.

"What's all the noise about?" Hoshi asked, coming up the steps with Nami.

Kakyou didn't waste any time. "Take us with you to Sakura's island!" he demanded. "You're going there anyways, right?"

Nami looked a little startled. "All of you?"

Ten pairs of eyes looked at her disdainfully. Nami mentally punched herself for asking such a stupid question. She smiled. "Well… we'll see what we can do."

"Whaddya mean?" Luffy asked, popping out of nowhere. He hung from the patio rafters by his legs. "Let's take them!!"

"AAAAAAAAA!!!" all the kids screamed.

"How long were you up there?!" Sakura demanded.

Luffy grinned. "I heard the whole thing! Of course we'll take you all!"

"H-hang on a second Luffy!" Nami interrupted. "Is there going to be enough room on Merry?"

"Whaddya mean? There's lots of room!"

Nami sighed. She could see that this was going to go nowhere.

"I agree with Sencho-san," Robin spoke up, coming out of the shop. "We should be able to take them all with us, at least until the next island. We'd have to stock up on more supplies though."

"Kids! Welcome to the Usopp Pirate Crew!!" Usopp yelled, popping up from behind a chair.

As the kids screamed from all the random and unexpected appearances, Hoshi's eyebrow started twitching. "What… what the hell is going on? Did I miss something?"

Nami sighed. Walking over to a barrel, she tipped it over… and out tumbled Sanji. "Hello Nami-san!!" he sang.

Paying him no attention, Nami walked around the corner of the shop. Everyone watched her go with some apprehension, and then there was a yell. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU HIT ME FOR?" Zoro shouted.

Oso sniffed. "Oi, Kakyou, do you smell that?"

Kakyou sniffed, then grinned. "I smell it."

The pair dove under the table. "FOOD!!"

Chopper ran out from under the table, screaming. "I'M NOT YOUR FOOD!! DON'T EAT ME!!!"

Uma screamed and curled into a ball, startled by all the sudden noise as Kakyou and Oso started chasing Chopper around the patio, knocking over a bucket and chairs and the table…

Kitsune sweatdropped. "So… all of you were listening?"

"That's how these guys are," Nami sighed. "If you're going to sail with us, you'll need to get used to this sort of thing."

Hoshi patted the head of an openmouthed Tori. "Don't worry," she assured the group. "It took me a while to get used to it myself."

Raku looked up. "Are you sure we won't be a bother?" she asked.

Nami smiled. "Don't worry, you won't be. We'll just need to get more supplies than we had originally planned on, won't we Sanji-kun?"

Sanji floated on his little pink cloud. "Haaaaai Nami-san!" he swooned. "I'll be off to get the extra supplies right now!"

"The only thing is that we'll probably be setting off this afternoon instead of before lunch like we planned," Nami stated. "But no biggie."

Kitsune batted at a stream of flying hearts that were flying around the pink cloud. "Whoa, how does it do that?" she asked.

Everyone sweatdropped. "Beats me…"

"HOSHI YOU BRAT!"

Hoshi froze. "Oh shit…" She barely dodged the knarled cane that swung at her head. Everyone scrambled to get out of the line of fire. Even Oso and Kakyou stopped chasing Chopper to dive into the bushes for cover.

"Where the hell did you go? I was looking for you!" the old woman roared.

"Ah, sensei, I was getting a new t-"

"NO EXCUSES!!" The old woman dragged Hoshi into the shop. "You must face your punishment in silence!!"

The door slammed. The group started cautiously climbing out of their hiding places, listening to the muffled yells and bangs coming from inside the shop.

Chopper shivered. "She reminds me of Doctorine…"

* * *

The old woman glared at Hoshi. "I've got some things to say to you before you leave this afternoon," she growled. "You'd better pay attention and heed my words this time. 

First, under no circumstances, DO NOT SET FOOT ON THE NEXT ISLAND."

Hoshi looked up. "What?!"

"You heard me. I don't care if you want to say goodbye to those kids or anything, it'll be for your sanity if you do not set foot on the next island."

Hoshi narrowed her eyes, but she didn't say anything.

The old woman sighed. "This next thing I want to tell you… Don't think I was trying to keep it a secret from you, I was just waiting until the right time.

I used to be a whitecoat in that laboratory."

Hoshi froze.

"How else do you think you escaped so easily?" the old woman snapped. "I was the one who made sure no one was in the lab that day, so you could escape."

Hoshi didn't know what to say.

"I saw that you were a real child, and I hated what they were doing to you. But because I was a whitecoat, I know this one fact which you may find very interesting. _You have real parents_. You weren't a test tube baby, you had real parents. You were taken from them at birth, and they thought you were dead."

"I… I have parents?" Hoshi whispered.

The old woman remained silent, letting Hoshi come to her own conclusions about this information.

Finally, Hoshi spoke. "Well that might have been interesting a while ago," she smiled. "But I don't really care. You took care of me and taught me how to fight, sensei. It doesn't matter to me what you were in the past."

"What about your parents Hoshi?" the old woman asked with a kind (and slightly relieved) smile. "Are you going to look for them?"

"I don't know," Hoshi mumbled, suddenly finding a floorboard very interesting to look at. "I don't know."

"Think on it, and come to a decision. Do it soon, else you'll go mad," the old woman advised. "Worrying about something for a long time never did anyone any good."

"Yeah… thank you Sensei."


	12. Painful Memories

**Author's Note: Looooooooooooooooong chapt here today! I hope you enjoy cause I worked HARD on this! I need ideas for Hoshi's tattoo! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece**

Chapter Twelve: Painful Memories

"Hoshi! Are you alright?" Tori asked as Hoshi stumbled out of the shop. "We heard lots of banging and loud noises!"

Hoshi forced a smile onto her face. "Yeah, I'm fine." She needed to get somewhere quiet, somewhere where she could think straight…

"Are you really okay?" Zoro asked. "You look troubled."

"No… no, I'm okay!" Hoshi smiled. Zoro narrowed his eyes. That smile was too bright to be natural…

She ran out onto the street and pulled out her wings. "I'll be back later!" she called.

"Oi, Hoshi, wait!" Nami called. "I thought you wanted to show everyone your new t- damn, she can't hear me," she muttered.

"What did Hoshi get?" Luffy wanted to know, still hanging from the rafters.

Nami just smiled. "She'll show you all when she's ready."

Zoro walked off the porch.

"Oi, where're you going?" Usopp called.

"To find Hoshi," he answered

* * *

Flying out over the island, Hoshi spotted a small pond. Touching down, a flood of memories hit her. 

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" she murmured, looking out over the weeping willows surrounding the pond. Walking to one, she gently pushed back the branches and sat at the base of the trunk. The slender leaves whispered in the wind, making little ripples on the surface of the pond.

Hoshi sat there for a while, thinking hard. Parents? Real parents? If she ever found them, would they take her back in? She was seventeen, after all… And if she did find them, what would she say? _Hi, I think I'm your kid who was supposed to have died seventeen years ago. I hope you don't mind that I've been fused with phoenix genes and I have supernatural powers like the people who ate the Devil's Fruits. I'd still like to be your kid though, will you take me in?_

Then they would accept that story with complete belief, then there would be lots of crying and hugging and tons of talk about 'making up for lost time' and mushy stuff like that.

Yeah, right.

Hoshi didn't even know if she wanted to find her parents. She was happy with the nakama she had right now… would she have to choose between her parents and her nakama? And if she did, which one would she choose?

She stood and walked to the edge of the pond. Finding a piece of bark, she carefully stacked a small pile of pebbles on it. She picked it up gently and set it afloat on the pond. Sitting back against the tree, she watched it float to the center of the pond. "I'm sorry," she whispered, closing her eyes.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps and was instantly alert. Who would come to a place like this?

Zoro poked his head through the curtain of leaves. "Oh, Hoshi!" he said, surprised. "You were here?"

"How'd you find this place?" Hoshi demanded, moving over to make some room for him.

He sat. "I don't know. I was walking around town when I suddenly ended up here."

Hoshi sweatdropped. _So he somehow managed to find his way here by getting himself lost…_

She looked out over the pond. "I used to come here when I was little," she mused. "I would pretend that I had a real family, that I was a normal kid like the others I saw in town." Grinning, she pointed to a stump. "That was dear old dad's favorite chair."

Zoro didn't know quite what to say. "So… you've wanted parents?"

Hoshi hugged her knees. "I did… but I don't know now. If I hadn't found you all, I bet I still would. But I did find you guys, so I sort of lost that wanting."

Zoro smiled. "So did you come back here to say goodbye or something?"

Hoshi smiled back. "Sort of. But I also came here to think… Sensei told be she used to be a whitecoat."

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Somehow, she doesn't seem the sciency type to me."

She chuckled. "No… she said that she recognized me as a human, and she actually helped me escape. I trust her, so that fact doesn't bother me too much, but what she told me next really confuses me. She said… she said that I have parents somewhere. I wasn't born from a test tube, I have real flesh and blood parents. I don't even know if I want to find them now, which is really confusing for me after wanting them for so long. I don't know what to do." Hoshi sighed.

"What's your dream?" Zoro asked.

Startled at the unexpected question, Hoshi remained silent for a minute. "Somewhere on the Grand Line… there are three flutes, scattered in random places. They're called Mitsu Yokobue. I heard about it. They're supposed to have been made during the Void Century, by the same people who made the Poneglyphs. No one was able to play them… without getting burned to a crisp. It seems that the flutes are waiting for the right person to play them, just waiting patiently, and whoever can play them will receive three wishes, one for each flute. Kind of corny, isn't it?"

Zoro grinned. "Yeah, it really is."

"But," Hoshi said, starting to get excited, "the flutes are supposed to have a sound, a complete voice of their own. I want to hear them. I also want to see them together again, as a set as they were supposed to be," she said, a happy look on her face. She pulled out her silver flute. "This is one of them, Daini. Part of the reason why I received a bounty was because I snuck into a Marine base to get it, at Logue Town. Did you happen to stop there before you entered the Grand Line?"

Zoro winced. "Yeah," he said, thinking about what had happened. "Luffy almost got himself executed there."

"WHAT?!"

Zoro laughed at the look on Hoshi's face. "A bunch of enemies that Luffy made while wandering around East Blue got together and cornered him at Logue Town and almost executed him at the podium where Gold Roger was executed."

"How the hell did he get out of that?!"

"I'll give you a couple of hints… think about how a lucky bolt of lightening and a random gust of wind helped."

Hoshi sweatdropped. "How am I supposed to figure it out from that?"

Zoro shrugged. "Think about it."

She stayed silent for a minute, then started laughing. "Are you telling me that lightening actually struck the podium, then a gust of wind blew you all out of there?" she asked disbelievingly.

Zoro didn't say anything.

Hoshi gaped at him. "That's actually what happened?!"

"Pretty much…"

Hoshi was so surprised, she couldn't say anything.

"What would you wish for?" Zoro asked.

Hoshi's face darkened a little. "I don't know. I don't want to really wish for anything."

"But if you have one flute already, don't you already have one wish?"

Hoshi winced. "I had to wish myself out of the vault it was kept in… I was stupid and didn't notice the magnetic alarm at its tail-end. When I pulled it out, an alarm went off, and I think you can imagine the rest."

Zoro winced, then spotted the bit of floating bark. His eyes narrowed. "Who's that for?" he asked.

Hoshi hesitated before answering. "I guess… you could call him my little brother."

Zoro didn't push her. He waited.

Hoshi closed her eyes, remembering… before she told Zoro what had happened.

"_Neh, Oneesama, are you okay?"_

"_Don't worry about it, I'm getting us out of here right now," growled an eight year old Hoshi, then known as Experiment 413._

_A small boy with overly large eyes stood next to her as she picked the lock carefully with a small scalpel she had swiped from the lab._

"_But you had that acid test today, the one that I'm supposed to have tomorrow," he whimpered. "Are you sure we should do this tonight?"_

_Hoshi winced as a burn spot on her arm sent a jolt of pain up her arm. "Tomorrow's going to be too late. I'm not letting them do this to you."_

"_Oneesama, I really thin-"_

"_Got it!" she cried happily. The door swung open. "Let's get out of here."_

_Hoshi grabbed the small boy's hand and ran down the hall, dragging him behind. He looked around fearfully. "The whitecoats…"_

"_They're all asleep," Hoshi assured him. "I heard one of them say that they all deserved an early night, the lady."_

"_But… what if…"_

"_No what ifs! This is our only chance to get out!"_

_The puppy-boy looked up at her. 'Trust' was the message in the chocolate eyes._

"_We'll get out!" Hoshi smiled at him reassuringly, interpreting the look. "Definitely. They're not putting us into any damn cages again. Don't worry, you and me are going to have some fun adventures, finding the Mitsu Yokobue!"_

_He smiled. "I want to help you find them too!" he said. "I'll be a big help, won't I? I want to hear you play them!"_

"_Of course!" Hoshi grinned. "We'll find them together, just like we've always wanted!"_

_He followed obediently after that. Hoshi felt a surge of protectiveness at the feeling of the smaller hand clutching hers… as much protectiveness as an eight-year-old was capable of feeling, anyways._

_Hoshi cautiously opened a door to the second hallway. Peeking in to make sure it was deserted, she slipped both of them into a room._

_The small boy shivered. "We've never been in the lab without the whitecoats before…" _

"_We're not going to be in here ever again," Hoshi growled. "Stand back."_

_The boy scuttled away under a desk. He knew his oneesama well enough to know that something big was going to happen when she said 'stand back'. Last time she'd said that, she had set half this room on fire by uphending a table with delicate mixtures of toxic chemicals._

_Hoshi tipped over a barrel onto its side and rolled it to the end of the room. Grunting, she pushed with her legs against the wall, making the barrel roll the opposite direction. It smashed into the opposite wall with a bang._

Gotta hurry, the whitecoats will be here soon after that bang_, Hoshi thought. She quickly repeated the maneuver, and it smashed into the wall three more times. A spiderweb of cracks had appeared in the stone. Hoshi wedged several large hunks out with her fingers. "Once more," she grunted. _

_The barrel smashed through the wall. "Yes!" Hoshi crowed. She ran over to the place where she had seen the little boy hide. "Ototho, we're out! We're…out…" Her voice died in her throat. _

_The whitecoats had slipped silently into the room and had stuffed her little ototho into a dog crate. They had kept him quiet by means of a scalpel pointed at his head. "O… oneesama…" he whimpered. "I… I'm sorry…"_

_Rage boiled up in Hoshi, rage as she had never felt before. "NO!!" she screamed, charging at the whitecoats. "GIVE HIM BACK!! GIVE HIM BACK!! YOU FILTHY BASTARDS, GIVE HIM BACK TO ME!" she roared._

"_Oneesama, NO!" he yelled. "Get out! Leave me here and get out!"_

_Hoshi's eyes went from aqua to scarlet as a power previously unknown to her awakened. "I'm not leaving you here," she whispered. She attacked a whitecoat, clawing at his eyes and kicking him where it hurt._

"_NO ONEESAMA!" the boy screamed. "GET OUT!"_

"_I'll leave when you're back with me," she growled, moving onto the next whitecoat. The problem was now that they were all charging at her, trying to pin her down. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes. "Ototho! JUST DIE YOU BASTARDS AND GIVE ME MY OTOTHO BACK!" she screamed at the offending whitecoats._

"_I'll wait, Oneesama," the boy yelled. "I'll wait for you to come back for me."_

"_No…" Hoshi whispered. A whitecoat picked up the crate and started carrying him away. "NO!! OTOTHO!"_

_He smiled bravely at her through the bars imprisoning him. "I'll wait Oneesama! I'll be waiting for you to come back!"_

"_OTOTHO!!"_

_He was gone, swallowed back into the hellhole they called a laboratory. Hoshi fought off the remaining offenders and ducked through the small hole she had created in the wall with the barrel, tears clouding her vision. Running through the forest, she collapsed into a bush. _

_For a while, she just sat and cried. Then she slowly realized she still held the scalpel in her hand. In a fit of rage, she stabbed her shoulder where the tattoo was. Again… and again… digging the damn number out of her flesh. Again, and again, the pain was nothing, not compared to what she had lost…_

_Curling into a ball, she felt the blood trickle down her side. Touching it, she brought her hand away wet. She stared at it dully for a while, then her hand formed a tight fist. "I'll be back when I'm strong enough to destroy this place," she growled. "Ototho, I'll be back for you."_

Quick translation notes:

Ototho: little brother

Oneesama: older sister

Zoro was silent, contemplating the pain Hoshi had gone through. She stared at the little grave marker she had made on the pond. "I… I couldn't keep that promise," she whispered, a tear forming at the corner of her eye. "I should've come back sooner."

"No," Zoro said. "You couldn't have known."

"It's not that… I was strong enough to destroy this place a long time ago, but I got caught up in looking for the Yokobue." She smiled sadly. "I wanted to play them for him when I rescued him, just like he wanted me to… but that was a stupid decision. I should've come and got him."

Zoro wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. "You did what you thought was best," he murmured. "He won't fault you for that."

"But I wanted to play them for him," Hoshi sighed, tears streaming earnestly down her cheeks. "He wanted to hear them…"

"Once you find them all, you'll play them, won't you?" Zoro grinned. "He'll be able to hear them, no matter where he is. You're thinking about too much: your parents, your ototho, accomplishing your dream… relax. You'll do fine when it's time for you to make all the decisions you need. No need to stress about them now."

Hoshi was silent for a moment, then she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered.

They didn't say anything for a while after that, just listened to the whisper of the leaves.

With no words, Zoro gently inserted two fingers under Hoshi's chin and raised her head up. She looked at him with a small smile, and taking that as unspoken permission, Zoro closed the small distance between their lips, caressing her cheek with one hand. She slid one hand around to the nape of his neck, pulling him closer.

Coming up briefly for air, they leaned their foreheads together. Then again, their lips met and both of their senses were overloaded with the essence of the other.

Lost in their own world as they were, they didn't hear six pairs of feet enter the clearing, nor the conversation following.

"Do you really think she came this way?" Sanji asked.

"Well, this is the way the tea-obassan told us to go," Luffy answered.

"How the hell would you know, with YOUR sense of direction?" Nami demanded.

"She said we would find a pond with lots of crying trees around," Luffy retorted.

"Weeping willows," Robin corrected.

"Well whatever, it's this place," Luffy said candidly.

"You're hopeless," Usopp grumbled.

Luffy laughed.

"Come to think of it, Zoro disappeared too," Chopper commented.

Sanji's face suddenly darkened. "That bastard better not be anywhere near Hoshi-chan, or I'll kill him this time," he growled.

Nami smiled mischievously. "Well, strange things do happen," she said.

Sanji looked at her in alarm. "Nami-san, you don't mean…"

The carrot head's smile widened. "Maybe, Sanji-kun."

Luffy looked confused. "What're you talking about?" he asked. Neither one of his companions cared to answer that. Nami, because she was too busy chuckling, and Sanji, because he had started running around the pond. "HOSHI-CHAN! WHERE A-"

THAT'S when he ran in on Zoro and Hoshi.

They broke apart and stared at him with surprise. _Shit…_

Sanji fell to his knees. "Hoshi-chan, how could you?" he moaned.

Luffy poked his head in above Sanji's head. "Na? Zoro, you're here too?" he asked, seeing Zoro and Hoshi. "Hoshi! We finally found you!" he laughed. "We've been looking forever!"

"Baka, the tea-obassan TOLD us where to look," Nami said, stepping in. Looking at the pair, she quickly assessed the situation and smiled. "Well it's about time," she told them frankly.

Sanji gaped at Nami. "You KNEW?"

"It was so obvious," Nami groaned, rolling her eyes. "Only morons like you would have missed it."

"Didn't you know already Sanji?" Usopp asked. "You're the one who told Zoro to keep running at Kiken Island."

"I remember that too!" Chopper put in.

"That was instinctive," Sanji snapped.

Robin just smiled as Hoshi and Zoro blushed furiously.

Nami smiled at them. "Well Hoshi, would you like to show everyone now?" she asked. "I know you've been dying too."

Hoshi blinked, then smiled shakily. "Y-yeah…" she mumbled. "Maybe later."

Nami shrugged. "Suit yourse-"

"DAMN MARIMO!!" Sanji roared. "HOW DARE YOU TAKE MY HOSHI-CHAN AWAY FROM ME!!"

"Sanji!" Nami yelled.

"THE HELL!? SHE WAS NEVER WITH YOU TO BEGIN WITH, DARTBOARD!!"

"Both of you, shut it!" Nami roared.

"BASTARD! I'LL NEVER FORGIV-"

"That's ENOUGH!!!" Nami roared. She pounded them both on the head, smashing their faces into the damp soil. "You two are so damn noisy!"

Hoshi was looking extremely uncomfortable. "Um…"

"Don't mind Sanji," Nami sighed, waving her hand. "You know how he's like."

Hoshi sweatdropped. "Okay…"

Suddenly, a hoard of feet pounded through the clearing.

"I found them!"

"They were here?"

"Ah! A pond!"

A small shape suddenly dived into the pool, clothes and all. Two others followed, screaming.

The grave marker seemed to bob happily on the water, riding the ripples without dropping a single pebble.

Kitsune surfaced first. "Ah, the water's so nice!" she called. Spotting Hoshi, she waved. "Hurry and come in with us!"

Hoshi sweatdropped. "It's alright… I don't feel much like swimming."

Oso and Kakyou surfaced. "C'mon Hoshi-san!" Kakyou yelled. "The water's great!!"

Neko winced. "Water…" he shuddered. "Not good."

Uma sweatdropped. "You're a cat in more than one way, aren't you?"

Neko continued to shudder. "Wa…ter…" He got blue lines over his head. "Not good."

Panda, Uma, Raku, Tori, and Tokage all waved their hands at him.

"Lazy."

"Stingy."

"Poop head."

"Furball."

"Cat."

Neko glanced casually at them all. "So what? 'Cat' isn't an insult you know," he informed Panda.

Panda sniffed. "Kitten."

"That's a baby cat. Still not an insult."

Hoshi stood with a shaky smile. "So… can I take this that we're ready to go?"

Nami grinned. "Yup! Do you have any last goodbyes or anything, cause you'd better make them now!" she said with her usual tact.

Hoshi jumped at that, then mixed emotions seemed to be fighting on her face. "Yeah… I guess."

She slowly walked out of the clearing. _She's right… I'm not going to see this island again for a really long time…_

_I need to say goodbye to Sensei…_


	13. NotsoTouching Goodbye

**Author's Note: Last chapter!! ENJOY! I REALLY WORKED HARD ON THIS ONE!! And before I get attacked, yes there will be a sequel, but it will probably be my final one with Hoshi in it... am I going to be attacked anyways?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece**

Chapter Thirteen: Not-So-Touching Goodbye

"FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!"

"NO! I'M NOT YOUR FOOD!"

Kakyou and Oso were chasing Chopper… again. They ran up and down the street at a breakneck pace, creating duststorms.

Robin chuckled as she watched them.

Sanji sighed. "Oi, oi, oi, how many times do they have to do this every day?"

"We're going to have to live with it for a while since they're sailing with us to the next island…" Usopp sighed.

There was a silence as everyone just listened to Chopper screaming and Kakyou and Oso laughing.

Nami sweatdropped. "Shouldn't we do something?" she asked.

"Leave them," the remainder of the kids chorused.

"That's just how Kakyou and Oso've always been," Neko yawned. He stretched out in a chair. "I'm going to take a nap."

"They're not really going to eat him," Uma assured the crew. "They just like the way he screams."

"Isn't that the truth!" Tokage laughed. "And they've never had something that fast that they could chase before. Must be their predatory instincts or something."

"I have a puppy at home," Sakura commented. "Will they try to eat it?"

"Probably," the kids chorused.

Luffy laughed while everyone else sweatdropped, and Koara slept in Kitsune's arms.

Hoshi hesitated before knocking on the door of the tea shop as everyone waited around on the porch. She had never had to knock before, not on this door. But now was different… somehow…

She knocked twice.

"Come in."

Hoshi opened the door cautiously. "Konichiwa…"

"Where have you been?"

That was it. Deadpan. "You ran off and worried all those so-called nakama of yours."

Hoshi smiled. "Well, they were able to find me somehow an-"

"Forget about them and stay here on the island if that's how much you care about them… I need someone to help me out with the shop."

Hoshi stared in astonishment. "Sensei, wha-"

"I'm telling you, it's going to be for your own good if you just stay here."

Hoshi was at loss for words for a moment, before her face hardened. "I thought we talked about this already. I'm going to go adventuring with them… so I came to say goodbye."

The old woman sighed and looked at Hoshi like one inspects a small child who insists that the sky is bright orange. "I'm the one who thought we talked about this: Since you obviously didn't understand, I'm going to make your punishment to stay on this island for the rest of your life, you hear me?!"

A cloud of blackness filled Hoshi's vision for a second, before she screamed, "I'm not staying on this island!"

"Such insolence! I won't accept this sort of behavior from my students!"

"I'm leaving with them, and there's nothing you can do to stop me! I said already, they're my damn FAMILY."

"And what am I?" the old woman snapped. "Are you going to leave me alone on this island to fend for myself in my old age?"

Hoshi's voice caught in her throat.

"Selfish kid," the old woman grumbled. "Hurry and wash these dishes."

Hoshi didn't move.

"What did I say? Come wash these dishes while I prepare some tea for our next cus-"

"No." Hoshi's eyes were hidden under her hair. "I won't."

"Eh?"

"I'm here to say goodbye Sensei. I'm leaving." Hoshi looked up, her eyes as cold as only her eyes could become.

The old woman just stared at Hoshi for a minute, meeting the aqua spheres of ice squarely without flinching… which was more than most people could do. "Taking those kids with you too, huh?"

"That was their own decision," Hoshi snapped. "I had nothing to do with it."

"You're going to go get yourself killed or something stupid like that," the old woman growled. "This is the GRAND LINE we're talking about."

"And I've survived for eight years already, I'm not planning to die anytime soon," Hoshi said.

"I don't care what you're 'planning' to do, you're still going to get yourself killed. Don't forget, you're more identifiable now, with that thing you've got poked onto your shoulder!"

"Live with the fact that I'm leaving, and I'm leaving for good this time Sensei!" Hoshi's eyes flashed. "If you can't accept that…"

There was a long, tense silence.

Finally, the old woman turned her back. "Then there's nothing more between us." She pointed her cane dead at Hoshi. "I am severing our bond as teacher and student here and now. Get out of here. You have no more place under this roof."

Hoshi bowed and left without another word.

When she walked out the door, everyone looked up. Tori tugged Hoshi's hand. "Can you teach me how to land better now?" she asked. "I've been practicing!"

"Y-yeah," Hoshi smiled. Tossing Tori into the air, she pulled out her own wings and quickly followed, calling out tips and pointers.

Nami sweatdropped. "What sort of a goodbye was that?"

Zoro walked into the shop and watched the old woman wash the prementioned plates.

"What the hell do you want, kid?" she growled.

"Are you alright with her leaving like that?" he asked.

"I hate mushy goodbyes," the old lady grumbled. "And if we did have one, then she might end up staying on this island for life to take care of me. I don't want her to do that. If she was able to leave after that, she would always look on this as something sad, when it's actually the best choice she's ever made. She can deal with pain better than emotional encounters. She's got that sort of personality, you know?"

Zoro waited.

"I never want her to come back to this island," she continued. "She has too many painful memories here…"

"She told me what happened… with her ototho and everything."

The old woman sighed. "She's the last person to deserve something like that." Looking around the shop, she sighed again. "I guess it's going to be a lot quieter around this shop with eighteen less people."

He chuckled. "We're a pretty loud group."

The old woman pointed her cane at him. "Now THAT, my boy, is the understatement of the century."

Zoro sweatdropped. "I get that a lot."

She sighed again. "Take care of that girl for me," she ordered him.

"Don't worry about her," Zoro grinned. "We'll take good care of h-"

"I asked YOU, moron. I wasn't asking your whole damn crew." The old woman grimaced.

"We talked about this already," Zoro growled.

"Say it again, just to humor me," the old lady cackled.

"…fine. I'll take care of her."

"Good boy."

* * *

It was a rather beautiful afternoon. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and it dyed the sea a deep blue. The waves lapped gently against the side of the Going Merry with a soothing lullaby. 

"LIFT ANCHOR!" Luffy yelled.

Zoro pulled up the anchor and set it onto the ship's deck with a grunt.

"SET SAIL!"

Hoshi and Sanji let down the sails… and the ship started to sail away. The kids gathered at the tail-end of the ship, watching the island grow smaller.

"It's a bit difficult, isn't it?" Usopp said consolingly. "Leaving the only place you've ever known."

Panda smiled. "Sort of…"

"I never want to see this place again," Raku whispered fiercely.

"Me neither," chorused Kitsune and Oso.

Hoshi perched on the rigging, watching the dock grow smaller and smaller with expressionless eyes, trying to figure things out. Zoro watched her carefully, wondering what she was thinking. Usually the girl could be read like an open book, but now…

"You okay, Hoshi?" Nami asked.

"Yeah…" she answered absentmindedly.

As the island disappeared from view, Kakyou stretched. "Oso!"

They grinned at each other. Chopper started backing away… slowly…

"TIME TO HUNT!" they roared, punching one another's fists.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Chopper screamed.

Hoshi sat in the crow's nest. They had sailed for the rest of the afternoon. By dinnertime, Kakyou, Oso, and Chopper had all collapsed in an exhausted heap. Sanji had cooked up an amazing dinner as usual, and Usopp had kept all the kids entertained with a story about fighting a giant flying pig when he was only about as old as Koara. All the kids were laughing, but only Panda and Chopper had actually believed it.

Then Sanji had kicked Usopp over the head for telling such a stupid story.

There had been disastrous a post-dinner game of tag. When Luffy had been 'it', he had run so fast, he had tripped and fallen, and everyone had fallen into ball that had rolled across the deck and smashed into the mast.

THEN there had been a party in honor of the kids. Raku had accidentally drunk a cup of beer… and had gone on the ultimate hyperness-rush. She ran around at supernatural speed, knocking everyone over while screaming her head off.

The day had ended with Hoshi piping a happy tune on Daini which made Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and all the kids (excluding Neko) do the stick-chopsticks-in-your-nose-thing and dance around while laughing. Koara had laughed and clapped her hands as Robin held her and tapped her little button nose.

All in all… it had been a pretty regular day, even though she had mostly sat back and watched it pass by.

Leaning against the wall of the crow's nest, Hoshi looked up at the sky. It was cloudy, neither the stars nor moon were visible in the slightest. Hoshi sighed and closed her eyes, trying to think about the future… but only a grumpy, old, wrinkly face would show in her mind.

A thousand little memories hit her...

_Nine-year-old Hoshi had fallen and cut her knee down to the bone on a sharp rock. Gritting her teeth, she had refused to cry and pulled the rock out. For a while, she had just sat there and tried to stop the bleeding with her hand, but suddenly a hand holding a roll of bandages._

"_Now, that's no way to treat a wound," the old woman chided. "You're hands can do lots of things, but not instant healing."_

* * *

"_Get up!" she barked during yet another training session. Hoshi gingerly stood, clutching her head. The old woman pointed her cane at her. "You'll never survive in the world if you don't know how to defend yourself or to attack! Up! Come at me with full intent to hurt me, or else you're going to bed with no supper!"_

* * *

"_How many times do I have to tell you not to touch the teapot while it's boiling?!" the old woman exclaimed._

"_I didn't touch it!" Hoshi retorted. "I touched the glowing stuff under it! It was pretty!"_

"_THE HELL? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, STUPID KID!!"_

* * *

_"I'm severing our bond as teacher and student right here and now. Get out."_

Suddenly, Hoshi was aware of someone climbing into the crow's nest. Without opening her eyes, she grinned. "Yo Zoro."

Zoro grinned. "Yo. Doing well?"

"Yeah," she answered automatically.

He thumped on her head. "Liar."

"Ouch!" Hoshi yelled, more from surprise than actual pain. She opened her eyes. "What was that for?"

"You haven't really been acting yourself today since we left the tea shop."

Hoshi sighed. "I was thinking… she's taken care of me before I had to leave the village. Some whitecoats came asking around the village for me, so I had to go. But until then, she took really good care of me."

Zoro was quiet. He didn't have to ask who 'she' was.

"I'm going to miss that grouchy old woman," Hoshi sighed. "But…"

_"You have no more place under this roof."_

"It wasn't really what she wanted to do, you know," Zoro said.

Hoshi snapped her head up. "What?"

"She wanted you to stay on the island… because she cared about you. But she didn't want you to have to choose between us and her, so she pushed you to us."

Hoshi didn't know what to think. Zoro could see the confusion swirling behind her eyes.

Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes. "Sensei..." she whispered.

_The old babba was right… Hoshi can deal better with pain than emotional issues…_ Zoro thought.

Her shoulders shook ever so slightly. "She didn't have to do that," Hoshi said.

"Would you have come with us if she had just outright asked you to stay with her and keep her company?" Zoro asked.

"I would have still come with you a-"

"Think about it."

Hoshi considered it. Then… "Probably not…" she admitted.

"There you go." Zoro put an arm around her shoulders.

She leaned into him and touched the crystal around her neck with two fingers. "I wish the mayor could've met her… they'd have liked each other," she said.

"Mayor?"

"The one who gave me this crystal. He gave his life for me… to let me escape from the World Government."

Zoro was quiet for a while. "Well… both that babba and the mayor would be happy to know that you're happy with coming with us. So just let yourself be happy," he advised.

Hoshi let a small smile creep onto her face. "That's better," Zoro said, noticing it.

She leaned her head on his shoulder as tears started to stream down her face. "Sensei… Ototho… Mayor…" she whispered. Zoro pulled her a little closer, letting her know that he was there. She chuckled a little. "And now you're being so kind… you baka."

Zoro smiled.

For a while, they stood like that with no more words spoken.

Suddenly, Hoshi stood straight and wiped her eyes. "Ah sorry! I've been getting your shirt wet a lot lately," she apologized.

"No problem," Zoro grinned, and she relaxed again.

"I forgot to show everyone my new tattoo," Hoshi said regretfully, craning her head and looking at her shoulder. "Do you want to see it first?"

"Sure."

Hoshi pulled up the sleeve of her T-shirt. On her shoulder flew a fiery orange phoenix rising into the sky, wings outstretched, outlined with a golden glow, and a tongue of fire running down her shoulder blade marking its path. On its back, there was a small black symbol in kanji… 'star'.

Zoro grinned. "I like it."

"Thanks!" Hoshi smiled. "It's sort of weird that the first tattoo shop we went too was willing to do a design like this special. They gave me a brush and colored pencils and told me to do whatever design I wanted."

"There're stores like that."

Hoshi raised an eyebrow at him. "How would you know that? Do you have a tattoo?"

"No, but-"

Hoshi silenced him with a look. There was a moment of silence, then they both started laughing.

_Thank you Sensei… thank you everybody, for giving me a chance to be happy._

A patch of sky suddenly cleared, and a single brilliant star twinkled down.

**AND THAT'S THE END!!! XD Did you like it? If you did, please review! SEQUEL WILL BE COMING! I'm going to post a preview soon if you'd like!**


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